How to Make the Covid-19 Pandemic our Faith Fine-Tuning Moment

Most of us are probably wondering and looking forward to when the Covid-19 pandemic will be over.

Each day we can’t help but think about that moment when we will be going back to our normal pre-Covid days.

The coronavirus lockdown gave many of us an abrupt halt to our daily routine, among others, being productive.

We experienced an unplanned disruption that might be too immobilizing for some because it might mean job or business loss.

However, our faith tells us, …we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Through this vein, I would like to present a couple of steps on how we could make the Covid-19 pandemic our faith fine-tuning moment.

Drawing inspiration from our piano

A couple of weeks before the Covid-19 lockdown, I finally got the chance to have our piano tuned.

A family friend gave it to us two years ago. They were moving up the north island, and bringing it would be impractical.

Please allow me to share two lessons I learned from our piano for our reflection.

1. We all need to be fine-tuned

To an untrained ear, our piano would sound okay. It still has a bright, “crisp” sound that I like despite the age. It is a 1953 model.

However, when the piano tuning person came and tried the keys, he detected what the piano needs. He located the middle octave areas and let me listen to the strings’ metallic brassy “after sound”.

Also, the digital tuner indicated our piano was a thousandth below the standard tune.

My friends, the regular humdrum of our lives has probably placed us in a situation where we are doing okay.

We believe in God. We go to church. We give to charity. We are faithful to our families. We harm no one. We pray. We receive benediction every Sunday. With all these, can we confidently claim that we are alright and not off-key with God?

Unfortunately, like somebody who has no ear for pianos, we cannot really tell what’s wrong with us. Only God can see and know whether or not we are in tune with Him.

In this period of the Covid-19 lockdown, can we take this as our moment to let God fine-tune us?

Let’s approach Him with the Psalmist’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24, which says:

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

2. We need to be still

When we got the piano, I didn’t have any intention to have it tuned. My reason is that we will still move the piano anyway, making the tuning useless.

Since we got the instrument two years ago, we have moved thrice. It was only when we had a fixed location for it that I entertained the idea of having the piano tuned.

For God to fine-tune our faith, we need to have a fixed and firm stand.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

Most of us are probably resigned to staying at home so we won’t get the virus and save lives.

In the meantime, most of us are probably trying to avoid making plans because of the uncertainty.

Instead, we live daily, thinking and praying about how to make the best out of our present situation.

In your daily activities, can you include one activity that we can call the “BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” activity?

Remember that for a diamond cutting laser machine to design a raw diamond and achieve its utmost brilliance effectively, the diamond needs to be mounted on a fixed clamp or receptacle.

May this coronavirus lockdown be a moment of stillness for us as we allow God to fine-tune us according to His brilliance.

Friends, here’s a short (1 minute) sampler from our old piano. 🙂