COVID, Crisis, Conflict, and the Cross: Making Disciples during a Pandemic

Abstract

Intimate desires characterize one’s last moments with family, friends, or colleagues, often expressed verbally to the hearers. John 17 is one such moment. Jesus passionately, through prayers, shared the desire that His followers be united, for unity in Christ is the essence of soul-winning— the world believing in Jesus (Jn 17:21,23). The disciples of Jesus also contended among themselves concerning greatness. In the history of the Christian Church, unity among the brethren has been elusive. Within the Seventh-day Adventist church, we have witnessed strife among the brethren because of divergent views throughout our history. Such strife is not an emerging issue. One recent conflict was on the church’s position regarding COVID-19 vaccines. This issue has caused some members to leave the church, while others have transferred to churches that accommodate their opinions. We have forgotten the impact of a conflicted church, especially on the spiritual growth among the youth and young adults. This paper aims to discuss the possibility of fostering unity among divergent views and personalities by developing the art of disagreeing while still respecting and being compassionate to one another. To achieve this, the presentation will first appeal to the Bible using sound biblical hermeneutics and, secondly, review the experiences of the Adventist pioneers in overcoming similar challenges.