Only a handful of us would be able to say, especially during an illness, "I am strong because I am with God." I have promised myself multiple times not to complain about my infirmities and pains, but I cannot always do so. I am trying hard to give glory to God for all things, despite the pain, tears and despair. For there is no other way to follow Christ. I have seen the power of God in action. Father Nikolai Guryanov, lying in his bed and waiting for his imminent departure, spoke of beauty and the gift of life.
We know that not a hair of our head will perish without God's will. Realising our weakness and spiritual poverty should bring us to revise our approach to life and rethink our relationship with God. In the Bible, the Lord said to the invalid who had spent 38 years lying paralysed on his mat, "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." We know that the Lord cares and burns out with the fire of His love the legacy of the sin that had built up in us over time.
Christ's words shed light on the spiritual meaning of the continuing Covid pandemic. Christ allowed it to us to let us become different. So our words and sensibilities become more centred on Christ. So we would become the channels of His love by helping all who come to us in sorrow and despair.
Let us not lose our time making guesses about our tomorrow. A believer in Christ should stand firm, be alert and keep our strong connection to God. So let us work on changing our character, habits and our entire lives. Let us deserve the honour of being called Christians. We have a lot of work ahead to bring salvation for ourselves and to our loved ones. Christ is risen!
