As much of the world now goes into lockdown meaning that voluntary social distancing becomes social distancing through government order, I wanted us to pause our study through Job and consider the difference between social distancing and physical distancing.
Rather than term what we are all doing social distancing,
would it not be better to refer to this as physical distancing?
Social distancing means that we are isolated socially, not in touch with anybody, alone, feeling abandoned, and definitely not part of a loving and living body of people (1 Corinthians 12.12).
Physical distancing is simply just that; you don’t get too close to people.
Small difference in choice of words, HUGE difference in understanding, acceptance, and practice.
For the sake of others, let us practice willingly and obediently physical distancing. The church is still the church despite physical distance. Jesus said that on the bedrock truth that He is the Son of God, that He is Divine, that He is the Messiah, that He is Almighty God,
I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Matthew 16.18b
During times of adversity and tribulation and trial, we will see if the church is really the church.
We will see if this body of people is self-supporting, self-sustaining, and self-supplicating (James 5.16).
We will see if this body of people is Kingdom focused, or kingdom focused (Matthew 6.24).
We will see if the church is filling its God-given mandate to make disciples (Matthew 28.19-20).
We will see if there is fruit and a root (James 2.14-26).
We will see if this called-out-of-the-world group of people really are fully regenerate born again believers part of the living body of Christ, or just a group of consumers who turn up to watch a religious TEDTalk once a week.
This is going sting for some, turn some away (John 6.60), but for those truly in the body this is going to be a defining period of time, a call to action, a call to take up arms, a call to show that yes, we are the church, we aren’t going anywhere, we are here for each other and for the world.
Brother, sisters, let us practice physical distancing but not social distancing, and let us show the world that we are the church today, tomorrow, and every day.
James Travis 