When you go on social media these days, you are bound to come across people that are grieving due to the coronavirus. The grief is not necessarily because of a lost loved one, as the numbers of deaths are still relatively low, but because of a lost future. People have had to cancel long-awaited vacations. They have been unable to attend concerts, and sporting events, and plays. They have had to postpone weddings and other milestone celebrations.
Perhaps those most impacted are students. With the ever-increasing likelihood that schools will not resume until next school year, the careers of graduating students are coming to an abrupt end. No final game for the basketball player to revel in. No last performance for the actor to relish. No ultimate robotics competition for the scientist to savor. Most likely there will be no graduations either – no capstone celebration of years of hard work. As one theologian put it, in addition to this pandemic of sickness, there is a pandemic of human disappointment.
As Christians we are not immune to these instances of disappointment and grief. And it’s okay to feel the sting when circumstances conspire to upend our hoped-for futures. The good news is that this time of sorrow will not last! God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He will lead us into a future filled with hope and prosperity. So may we find comfort knowing that even if we feel the tears of disappointment now, there are days of joy ahead!