A Letter of Recommendation _Nahum Ward-Rev
preface
1.
When the Storm Blows - Leviticus, Exodus, Job
2.
Plague... God's mercy? Who knows? _2 Samuel 24:1-25
3.
Until We Start Dancing Again _Jeremiah
4.
Praying in the Midst of a Virus _1 Kings 8:23-53
5.
Turning from Self to God _ Psalm 77
6.
God's New Work _Isaiah 43:18-19
7.
The Procession of Sighs _Isaiah 42:14-15
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What Can We Say About COVID-19?

When a serious disaster occurs, the questions that naturally arise are, “Why did this disaster happen?” and “What will happen next?”
Christians are no different.
We all struggle to understand the causes and suffer from anxiety about the future.
On television, specially organized programs report daily on current events and trends, analyze political, economic, social, and scientific backgrounds and causes, and hold discussions.
Meanwhile, the news that a famous pastor delivered a message urging repentance, saying, "The current disaster is God's judgment," has sparked a series of criticisms and supporters.


How to think and speak critically, theologically, and biblically

Walter Brueggemann writes that “leaders of faith communities today may be faced with the situation or responsibility of offering commentary on COVID-19 through the lens of ‘faith’ (or commentary that seeks to deepen their understanding of faith through the lens of COVID-19),” and that he wrote this book to accept that situation and responsibility.
Through this book, he proposes and encourages critical, theological, and biblical ways of thinking and speaking about the current crisis, hoping that by doing so, the church and Christians will continue to maintain their missionary identity with boldness and joy.

“From a biblical perspective, epidemics…are connected to the reality of God.”

There are many ways to interpret serious disasters such as war, famine, and epidemics in relation to God.
The author leaves open the possibility of sanctions based on covenantal relationships, but also introduces instances where God exercises His power with purpose, and cites the complete holiness of God as the utter Other as a third possible interpretation.
These interpretations cannot be contained within the rationality pursued by modern enlightenment.
But when we are faced with a disaster beyond our control and beyond our understanding, we are momentarily brought to the edge of God's awesome and mysterious presence.

Until we start dancing again

In the midst of a pandemic or disaster, our attention is often drawn to "What should I do? What can I do?" But the author encourages us to shift our focus from ourselves to God.
In the midst of disaster, all we can rely on is God's mercy and hesed (a firm bond).
Now we must look back and remember who He is, what He is like, and what He has done for us, and within the covenant relationship, we must pray for His mercy and Hesed, and we must wait and expect what He will do.
This is what the Bible requires of God's people in times of crisis.


Towards a new normal

The current disaster has caused sighs to erupt from all over the world.
No, perhaps the very phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic itself is a lament of this land.
This lament is also a warning about the world we have known until now, a world where the entire world has been indifferently exploiting others for its own self-satisfaction.
When fear and anxiety strike, we tend to cling to what was previously safe and certain.
But the future does not rest on previously cherished realities.
God is creating a new world, a world of generosity, kindness, and caring neighbors.
This new future will come to us when we pay the right price.

Prayer in the Time of Corona

At the end of each chapter in this book, there is a prayer that follows the meditation on the biblical text.
The prayer, written by the author himself, not only connects the place of God's people in the Bible with our place today, but also allows God's people today, who have lost the words to pray, to boldly approach God with their anxiety, loss, and sorrow. It also guides those who offer this prayer to willingly join in the lament that transforms them before God's holy presence and creates a new future.
As Rabbi Nahum Ward-Lev, who wrote the recommendation, put it, this book is “a precious book that comforts us, encourages us to challenge ourselves, and guides us through these difficult times.”

characteristic
- Brueggemann's detailed observations, interpretations, and insights into various texts of the Bible.
- The timeliness of Bible meditation in the current COVID-19 situation
- Includes prayers that connect Bible meditation with life.
- Providing sermon materials and ministry motivation for pastors, seminarians, and leaders of faith communities.