In a video posted on March 20, Francis Chan emphasized that our current global crisis presents a unique opportunity for believers to share the hope of the gospel with others. He exhorted Christians not to allow fear to rob them of love, joy or peace, but instead to remember that because of what Jesus has done for us, we can have no fear of anything, not even death.
“We are people that are supposed to be fearless, just absolutely fearless,” said Chan. And that fearless trust in God enables us to love those around us well. “This is one of the greatest opportunities we’ve ever had as a church where people are open to talking about serious things, life and death things.”
There Is No Fear in Love
It has only been three weeks since Francis Chan and his family left the United States to be missionaries in Hong Kong. Right before they left, Chan and his wife gathered their kids together and asked how they were feeling about the move. Most of them expressed mixed emotions, saying they felt sad about leaving their friends, but excited to live in another country. They weren’t too worried about the coronavirus at the time. But when the Chans asked their five-year-old, Silas, how he was feeling, the boy started crying and said, “I’m just so sad that all these people are dying in China.”
That made them pause, said Chan, as they realized, “He’s the only one who has the right perspective.”
Because of the instability the pandemic has introduced into our lives and the fear and anxiety that can accompany it, “it’s so easy for us to lose what we’re supposed to be all about, which is to be these people who are loving, that are concerned that hundreds of people every day are dying and many headed to an eternity apart from Christ.”
With that in mind, Chan had words of encouragement for his We Are Church family and for all believers navigating the pandemic. First, he said, don’t lose your love. Continue to live out of the love of God, seeking his will about how to serve the people around you.
