Finding God in the Midst of Corona Virus

Honestly, natural disasters, suffering, pain, and sickness could make you question the existence of a loving God or even assume that God creates evil in this world. You might ask, “If God is truly loving and all-powerful, how could he allow coronavirus cases (COVID) to increase and cause thousands of people to suffer and die that include vulnerable and the innocents? I understand the confusion, anger, loss, and emotional pain. Both believers and non-believers encountered this turmoil. Struggling to find the reasons behind this horrible pandemic and similarly, asking the question of DJ Nicole Hyala: “What is the meaning of this?”

COVID as evidence for God

Indeed, COVID can be used as evidence against the existence of a loving God. But there’s also a lot of evidence that God exists. How can a limited man assume that tolerating pandemic was a sign that a loving God who is all-wise does not exist. You should not be surprised if you do not have all the answers to all the heartaches in this world. It is normal because you are a human-intelligent but limited. What you can do is to focus on the evidence of the existence of God. There is an argument that there must be a first cause for a thing to exist. I will not exist or you will not exist without the first cause- the creator God. Never assume immediately that suffering, and death means destruction. It could be the start of a new learning and new life or eternal life after death. There are multiple pieces of evidence contradicting the existence of God at the same time supporting the evidence of God. Finding God is not an easy task. This is only for those people who will search and has a bias for God. Bias means people who initially believe in God without proofs then experience God and find the proofs later. It is like defending your “Kapatid”(siblings) after being accused of drugs and killing 5 people because you know them personally. Bias but rational. You were able to find proof of God because you are a rational being and experienced him personally. You won’t find God if you think at the start it’s impossible for him to exist. An atheistic bias. Atheists are people who do not believe in God. Matthew 7:7 stated, “See and you will find.” Blaise Pascal had a challenge for those who question the existence of God[Paraphrased]: “If God exists you go to heaven: your gain is infinite. If God does not exist, you gain and loss nothing.” Looking at those statements, there is abundance in believing God. It is more beneficial to believe on His existence. Suffering and sickness like COVID do not disprove God. In fact, you are using the standard of good health and happiness as a basis for your concept of pain and diseases. No concept of evil without the concept of Good. No concept of disaster without the concept of order. The theistic argument implicitly leads to Supreme Standard. The Supreme Good Health is God.

God is not the source of evil and suffering

God created humans with the possibility to do evil because of free will. Humans chose to do evil, as a result, suffering, and death in this world. Without free will, humans won’t exist. Sin is not always the cause of adversities. A natural disaster such as typhoons, climate change, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc was caused by earth movements. COVID was caused by a natural process, transmitting from bats to humans through an intermediate host. Nature does not have the ability to recognize disasters or catastrophes. If a glass falls from the table and got broken, do you get angry? No. You just adjust and accept because of the law of gravity. There’s no sense fighting natural process. The Lord is fully aware of your difficulties. He knows where you are coming from. He responded to suffering through Incarnation—He immersed himself to it until he died. He asked the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?” Despite of pain and sorrow, he submitted to God’s will. He was humble and silent. Real faith, love, and perseverance can only be tested if you are facing a crisis and handling unlovable people around you. Of course, you do not plan for hardship. God is neither sadist nor masochist. The death of Christ was the consequence of the Lord’s choice to live in this sinful world. But God can turn bad things into good. Philosophy expert and author Dr Peter Kreeft of Boston College stated, “The death of God himself on the cross. At the time, nobody saw how anything good could ever result from this tragedy. And yet God foresaw that the result would be the opening of heaven to human beings. So the worst tragedy in history brought about the most glorious event in history. And if it happened there-if the ultimate evil can result in the ultimate good-it can happen elsewhere, even in our own individual lives. Here, God lifts the curtain and lets us see it. Elsewhere he simply says, ‘Trust me.’”