WHERE IS GOD IN A CORONAVIRUS WORLD?
By John C. Lennox
Good Book Company. 62 pages. £2.99
ISBN 978 1 784 985 691
Where is God in a coronavirus world? This is a question that many of us are asking as we face lockdown, isolation and the loss of loved ones. As a doctor, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of coronavirus on patients, colleagues and their loved ones.
Professor John Lennox wrote this short book in the space of a week, and his intention is to remind us of our ultimate source of comfort and hope. As he does so, he actively encourages us to ask the big questions rather than to shy away from them.
Perhaps recalling the days when we could still meet in a coffee shop, Lennox asks us to think of the book as though we were discussing this question together.
He doesn’t give trite answers to difficult issues, but takes time to consider key passages in God’s word, aided by quotations from authors such as C. S. Lewis, and also engages with prominent atheists such as Richard Dawkins.
The book initially feels like a conversation with a university professor. However, as the conversation progresses, it warms, especially as it moves towards discussion of Jesus on the cross and the difference that the gospel makes.
Lennox poignantly uses the crown-shaped nature of coronavirus to remind of the God who became flesh, who wore a crown of thorns for us.
I was particularly struck by his final chapter entitled ‘The Difference God Makes’, which encourages us to think practically and prayerfully about our response to the coronavirus pandemic. He exhorts us to follow government advice, to love our neighbours, and to view all of this with the hope of eternity. These would be excellent points to ponder in our families, home groups and churches.
Initially, my impression was that this book would most appeal to someone who would enjoy a stimulating conversation in the imagined coffee shop. But that is not to say that it lacks compassion and realistic awareness of the suffering that individuals and families will experience.
It will deepen our understanding of why we can speak of hope and feel a sense of peace in a world of uncertainty and fear, and encourage us to turn afresh to the God who is not taken aback by this, and who will work all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
