At the end of March, the Stimulus editorial team of Sarah Penwarden, Fiona Sherwin, and I met and discussed putting together a special edition of Stimulus based around the COVID-19 event.

Stimulus welcomes the submission of material for Publication.

Where[1] is God in a Coronavirus world?[2] And how do we live wisely in such a world?

The world is changing. We are being called to keep physical distance in a world that was already relationally distant.

On the 14th of March, aware that we may face a COVID-19 enforced lockdown, I posted on Facebook an article about twelve museums that were each offering virtual tours: ways that people could access their collections from their own homes. One such museum was the Guggenheim in New York. Seeing the post (#connect), a school friend who now lives in NY went for a walk (#move) in her local neighbourhood and shot three short videos of the outside of the museum which she posted to the comments (#give). In the videos, she noted that the large tractor parked outside the museum was attracting much interest (#notice). I later discovered (#learn) that it, and the room of plants we also “passed” on screen, were part of curator Rem Koolhas’ exhibition, critiquing the “brutally functional machine” that our natural world has become.[1] This article is dedicated to my friend.

Among other things, COVID-19 has brought with it an invitation to rethink what we imagine a safe society to be.

In times of crisis, many turn to the Book of Revelation (Revelation or Rev) to search for answers or comfort, hoping that the eschatological prophecies of the text will provide illumination and certainty. Whilst the text is intended to provide hope in challenging situations, it was never intended as a predictor of the future, but rather as an encouragement to Christian believers to persevere in their faith. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Book of Revelation reminds Christians to continue to wait, witness, and worship God, putting their faith in God’s actions whilst outworking justice in their own communities.

Many of us have been moved and impacted deeply with COVID-19 and its chaotic march across the globe.

On 25th March 2020, the New Zealand government declared a State of Emergency. The nation moved to Alert Level 4 and went into lockdown for at least four weeks.

“The human race is admonished to turn to God, even at the eleventh hour, from its love of this world” (Enarrat. Ps., 4.4)

For many people, this is a time of fear.

Saint Peter has been so busy recently that I’ve been rostered to provide him some additional assistance on Pearly Gates duty. It sure makes a change from my current day job, overseeing gold supplies for street maintenance.

“If everything has become doubtful, the doubting at least is certain and real,” wrote Hannah Arendt in 1958.[1]

The extent and pace of COVID-19 infection internationally during early 2020 has necessitated the self-isolation of the entire populace of many nations within an extraordinarily short period.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”[1]