Can you believe that we have been battling COVID for two years? Thousands of restaurants have closed down, small mom and pop businesses have disappeared, airlines struggle to maintain regular schedules, both large and smaller companies face labor shortages where they simply can’t find enough virus-free workers to staff their organizations. We all are frustrated with the disruptions to our regular routines. And our new year of 2022 cannot promise that things will be better.
Most churches have postponed services or have gone virtual with video platforms like Zoom, with the result that many members have just dropped out. When — and if —we return to normal, will these drop-outs return? And the larger question is, what will normal be like? Younger generations don’t seem to be interested in religion as it is found in our churches. Most are not inclined to simply join an organization that asks them for money and tells them what they ought to believe.
I really don’t think that our churches will die. Some may try to hang on to the way they used to “do” church. A few most likely will not survive. But churches that thrive during the “new normal” will adapt to the world that the virus bequeaths us. They will be creative in communicating with the younger generations who call themselves “seekers,” but who do not find what they are looking for in the traditional church. Churches must find ways of listening to the concerns and doubts and questions of the religious “nones.” There should be no easy answers, no efforts to convert the seekers to believe in a specific theology or a certain method of interpreting the Bible.
Religion has always been part of nearly every country throughout human history. But much of this history has been marred by bloodshed from religious warfare, where competing religions battle to demonstrate that only one faith has the real truth. To some degree these struggles are still going on today. There can be no winners in these combats.
Churches in America that adopt a mission in the post-COVID era will work together to establish listening posts and discussion groups to talk about the seekers’ concerns. They will strive not to discover specific answers but ways of working together to gain new meaning and cooperative approaches to their issues.
I listen to a radio station whose hosts regularly complain and disagree with persons of a different point of view. They never invite someone from the other side to come on their programs to discuss openly and intelligently their disagreements. It seems that this attitude prevails in much of our country that manifests itself in hatred and violence in politics and social issues.
We all hope that the virus will be overcome in this new year, and that churches of all types will find new ways to cope with the new realities. Author James Michener looked at the positive qualities of our country, and commented that churches were an asset to any community. While he did not go to church much himself, he believed that churches were a benefit to the spirit of our nation. Let’s hope that churches will emerge from the virus to continue to build a strong foundation.
Harry Bronkar is a retired Baptist minister living in Seven Lakes. Contact him at hbronkar@gmail.com.
