There is a phrase being overused that I’d rather not write. I will reference it by saying it is the opposite of the old normal. As life creeps back to the same as it ever was, many are commenting that it will never be the same. They mention things like the need for drastic changes in the healthcare system, lack of trust in the globalized world, possible changes in passports/immunizations, greater government surveillance and overreach, effects of prolonged isolation and social distancing. All these changes create a landscape that, for some, might be intimidating. What will life be like on the other side of this virus?
We are not the first to wonder what it will be like on the other side. After the days of mourning for Moses, the people of God prepared to cross over the River Jordan. They were told to keep the ark in view, “that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before” (Josh. 3:1-4). Aaron’s rod that budded represented God’s miraculous power. The tables of stone represented God’s word. The pot of manna represented God’s providence. All of these showed God’s presence with the people. Imagine that you are finally crossing into the promised land that your parents had been talking about yet were not able to see; they died in the wilderness. Moses also was gone, the leader that had done so many wonderous signs. You are now led by Joshua. For some, being under new management, in a new land, with a new task creates uncertainty. However, with God a constant, they were able to see the task through.
There have been others that traveled uncertain roads in the past. “Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household” (Heb. 11:7). “Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 11:8-10). “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen” (Heb. 11:24-27). These all had faith in God, a directive to complete, and the courage to go.
We stand today on the cusp of a shift in our culture. As more and more restrictions are lifted and people emerge from isolation, it is probable that life will not ever be the same as it ever was. There is some uncertainty ahead. There are new habits and changes to what was once normal. We will adapt and forget what it was like before, much like we did with TSA after 9/11. With all the change, some things are the same. We are under the same management of the Creator. We are in the same land looking forward to the new heavens and earth. We have the same task at hand. We still walk by faith and take comfort in the things that never change.