On the unpredictability scale, if the Israeli elections rank an eight, COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pegs at an eleven. In its short lifespan, this disease has spread from its origins in Wuhan, China, to all continents of the earth except Antarctica. More than 100,000 people have fallen victim to this virus, with more than 4,000 losing their lives as of the time of this writing. By the day this newsletter is released, that number could easily have doubled or tripled.

Nearly thirty-five years ago, the band The Clash asked the musical question “Should I stay or should I go?” This is the decision I faced a few weeks ago as I prepared to depart Israel for a six-week book tour supporting the release of The Jerusalem Assassin. I could feel Mick Jones’s angst as he sang, “If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay, it will be double.” Staying in Israel would mean not supporting the release of the book and disappointing my publisher, Tyndale House. I have no doubt they would have understood whatever decision I made, considering the circumstances. Still, events had been booked and media appearances promised. I was determined to follow through with my commitment.

So I chose the “trouble” over the potential “double.” I boarded a plane in Tel Aviv and flew to the United States to begin a nine-city tour. This was despite Israel’s health department last month issuing a warning against international travel. Then, on March 9, the government announced that it would essentially ban incoming travel from all corners of the globe. Any tourists visiting Israel have been asked to return to their home countries. Israeli citizens who return home from overseas will be required to quarantine at home for fourteen days.[1] Finally non-citizens arriving in Israel after March 12 will have to prove they have a place in-country to self-quarantine.[2]

I know I am just one of many who have faced this kind of decision to travel in the midst of an outbreak. While it’s a personal trial and could cause difficulties, the government’s caution is completely understandable. If this disease were to sweep through a small country like Israel, it could be devastating. The nation’s health facilities could be overwhelmed, and our tourism-dependent economy would receive an extremely hard blow. Of great concern is the potential of the epidemic flooding the people of Gaza and the West Bank, where close quarters, unsatisfactory health facilities, and the heavy hand of Hamas could bring disastrous results.[3]

One recent positive upshot has been the cooperation between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Two hundred fifty testing kits have been delivered across the border to the PA, and according to the Jerusalem Post, “Joint training sessions for Israeli and Palestinian medical staff were set up to provide information on personal protection while handling a person thought to carry the virus.”[4]

The question on so many minds is whether we are on the verge of a catastrophic global pandemic. It’s too soon to know. What we do know is that as Christians, our confidence is not in governments or doctors or scientific discoveries. Our faith is in the Lord. Because of this, we have nothing to fear. He is in control.

This doesn’t mean that we aren’t careful. We should constantly be washing our hands and cleaning surfaces. We must follow the recommendations that come from our nations’ health leaders in order to protect ourselves and those around us. But we know that ultimately it is our God who watches over us. So we add to our hand sanitizer, our masks, and our Clorox wipes a heavy dose of prayer. Prayer for comfort for the sick and for those who have lost loved ones. Prayer for wisdom, diligence, and protection for those in the medical and scientific fields treating the afflicted and seeking cures. Prayer for peace in the hearts of the people of God’s church. Because we are able to see this crisis through God’s eyes, we can bring strength, love, and comfort to a world that is living on the brink.

—Joel

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[1] Itamar Eichner and Itay Blumenthal, “Netanyahu Announces 14-Day Home Quarantine for All Arrivals from Abroad,” ynetnews.com, March 9, 2020, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/By8cibEHI.

[2] Times of Israel staff, “Tourists Will Need to Leave Israel as Part of Travel Restrictions,” Times of Israel, March 10, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/tourists-will-need-to-leave-israel-as-part-of-new-travel-restrictions/.

[3] Leon Sverdlov, “Israelis, Palestinians Unite to Fight Coronavirus,” Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, March 7, 2020, www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israelis-Palestinians-unite-to-fight-coronavirus-620067.

[4] Ibid.