Something the Bible Doesn’t Say About Viral Plagues: “In all things by Prayer, with conspiracy theory, make your requests known to God”

There is a story in the Bible about 10 lepers who came to Jesus asking to be healed. He sent them to be inspected by the priests, as was the legal requirement and custom, and as they went the leprosy left them. The text goes on:

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks” (Luke 17:15-16).

Where were the other 9?! They received what they asked for but did not return to give thanks.

Wind back the clock a few months. Remember the reports coming from Spain and Italy and other countries where the coronavirus was having a devastating effect? Remember the sense of panic and dread?

Remember, too, if you are a Christian how many of us took time to pray and fast - on our own or as churches and wider Christian networks. We asked God to show mercy and hold back His judgment. We asked Him to spare our loved ones working in the NHS. We asked Him to preserve life and minimise serious illness and trauma.

Whilst there were hot spots and some tragic deaths, it now seems fair to say that the pandemic did not hit our nation as hard as we feared. The thousands of emergency hospital beds in temporary facilities which were built at short notice in sports stadiums and other venues were not needed. Some have experienced this illness in a horrible way but many had only mild symptoms.

Now some people are concluding that this was never as bad as it was made out to be. At best, they see the incompetency of governments enacting contradictory policies based on inaccurate and politicised science. At worst, they see it as the outworking of some Machiavellian plot, a government power grab or Masonic scheming.

It seems to me that as Christians we ought to cautious about giving too much weight to these conspiracy theories. It should not surprise us that human leaders are found to lack wisdom and strength in times of crisis. It should not surprise us that some (certainly not all) are proud enough to use crisis situations to advance their own status, power, and control. Isn’t this what the Bible leads us to expect?

But more importantly, having prayed to God for mercy, we should not be surprised that He has shown mercy. Doesn’t the Bible lead us to expect this too? One of the things we asked God for is that the impact of the virus would be less than we feared. Had it been worse many people would be blaming God and holding Him responsible. It was far better than it might have been; we should recognise that this is an act of God and that He, in His infinite kindness and mercy, has restrained this evil by setting its boundaries and limitations. God is good, all the time. 

Will we give thanks with as much intensity as we had when we prayed for mercy?! What a terrible thing it would be if we were so distracted by scepticism and cynicism and conspiracy that we forget to go back and give thanks! Wouldn’t that make us more like the 9 ungrateful lepers than the 1?! But the Bible does not say “In all things by prayer, with conspiracy theory, make your requests known to God”. It says:

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5-6).