“There’s a silver lining to every cloud that sails about the heavens if we could only see it,” Katty Macane.

The CCP virus continues its destructive path around the world bringing physical, economic, psychological and social suffering to individuals, families, communities and nations. It knows no bounds of race, sex, nationality, or economic condition. People are starving, medical infrastructures are breaking down, businesses are closing, some to never again reopen. Economies are tanking and religious freedoms being ignored. People are dying alone, their loved ones prevented from being with them.

On a more personal level, in two poor rural communities in Honduras where my wife has travelled and ministered for 18 years, people are hungry and medical facilities are collapsing.

In the midst of the Coronavirus, is there any hope?

Growing up, whenever my family was struck by some painful event, my mother would always say “Darrow, this too will pass!” I would roll my eyes, but have since come to see the wisdom of my mom’s words. Covid-19 will pass. For those who live through it, it will be behind us.

John Milton’s masque, Comus, penned in 1634, spoke of the silver lining, the light of the moon shining from behind the cloud.

Was I deceiv’d, or did a sable [black] cloud.

Turn forth her silver lining on the night?

The silver lining signifies that in the gloom of despair a ray of hope still shines, the evil will pass. In the midst of the storm something good will come.

An ancient silver lining

One powerful illustration of this truth is the story of Joseph. Years after his jealous brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, they faced their guilt. But Joseph forgave them: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20 ESV). What humans may intend for evil God can turn to good. Could the benign neglect, or evil intentions, of the Chinese Communist Party releasing this virus on the world be somehow turned to good?

The Apostle Paul expresses a similar understanding: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV). The God who commanded the universe into existence out of nothing, who turned water into wine, who raised Christ from the dead, is able to turn man’s evil intentions into good.

Silver linings do not dissipate the clouds, but they indicate that something good will come from the storm.

Is there any silver lining in this pandemic? Yes! The “natural evil” cannot obliterate the good that has come from it.

What silver linings can we begin to see? My friend Dwight Vogt wrote of one in Dads with Kids Riding Bikes, and our friend Ayoub Kdimy in Morocco wrote of another in Coronavirus: An opportunity to Reflect.

As Dwight indicated in his post, families are spending more time together. They are walking and biking together, doing hobbies together. Mothers are cooking with their children. My wife went shopping for puzzles to assemble with our grandson only to find there were no puzzles left in the stores. Families are learning to be families again. This is a silver lining.

Motherhood, neighborhood and education

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a psychologist with training in marriage and family counseling, has noted that many of the women who contact her for advice are rediscovering motherhood. They had bought into the modern feminist lie, that a woman can have it all as a mother and a career professional. But when push came to shove, career usually took precedent over children. With the economic shutdown, these women are without their career jobs and, instead, home with their children. They’re discovering that their children need them and they need their children. They are experiencing the glory of motherhood in the age of Coronavirus. This is a silver lining on the Coronavirus storm.

Our neighborhood has blossomed with messages of hope. On my daily walks I have discovered chalk messages between families. Signs of hope and courage on butcher paper are showing up on garage doors. Perhaps the most fun are the small rocks painted with bright colors and set in strategic places around the neighborhood. The beautiful colors and words of “hope,” “love,” “faith,” “courage” are reminders of the virtues needed in these days of Coronavirus.

Another silver lining on the dark cloud is growth in homeschooling. Parents are engaging directly in their children’s education and discovering their children are being taught evolutionism. They are finding that state-run education is more geared to the needs of teachers and administrators than of students. They see that their children are being taught to submit to the dictates of the state rather than being prepared to think critically and creatively, to be self-governing, virtuous citizens of a free nation.

Getting out of our ruts

A crack is growing in the state-run school monopoly. According to RealClear Opinion,

[A] national poll of 2,122 registered voters showed that support for educational choice is strong, and that a significant portion of parents are more likely to pursue homeschooling opportunities after the lockdowns end. The results show that 40% of families are more likely to homeschool or virtual school after lockdowns, and that 64% support school choice and 69% support the federal Education Freedom Scholarships proposal.

Another silver lining: we are escaping our ruts. Many people have lost their employment, for example. Some have spent years doing uninspiring, unfulfilling work. Losing their jobs has given people opportunity think about who they are, why they are here. What had been a luxury—discretionary time—has become their reality! They can listen to their Maker and discover their calling.

Some silver linings are visible at a global level. Nations are working together in research to understand the virus and how to treat it. As the world joins forces, treatments and cures are emerging in record time.

Refreshed appreciation for laborers and entrepreneurs

There is also a new recognition of the dignity of people who work with their hands, combined with the recognition that manufacturing, especially of essential goods like pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, needs to be returned to the US.

A reduction in bureaucratic regulations has created a new spirit of hospitality for entrepreneurs to dream dreams and create new businesses.

Finally, consider the myriad of good deeds by strangers helping their neighbors and those particularly vulnerable. Complementing this is the courage and self-sacrifice of first responders. How many nurses and doctors have gotten sick and some even died while treating Coronavirus patients? First responders are a remarkable breed. I am especially aware of this as my daughter is an ER doctor and her husband a paramedic. They both have treated virus victims, and speak matter-of-factly that they are likely to get it.

It is wonderful to see these silver linings in the era of Coronavirus.

What are some of the silver linings you can see in the midst of the Coronavirus storm? How can you contribute to being part of those passing on hope in your community?

• Darrow Miller

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