Religion Unplugged believes in a diversity of well-reasoned and well-researched opinions. This piece reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily represent those of Religion Unplugged, its staff and contributors.

(OPINION) Results of a recent survey by an African research think tank, Afrobarometer, showed that Zimbabweans trust their faith leaders more (78 percent) than they trust the president (48 percent). This should explain why this southern African country, one of the few on the continent to get its COVD-19 vaccination roll-out program right from the start, struggled to convince its citizens – including even health workers – that the vaccines are good for them. 

Religious leaders and their beliefs hold sway over a majority of the population. Since the start of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is proving to be more deadly, there are now stampedes at the same vaccination centers that only a few weeks ago could go whole days without serving anyone.

What caused this trend? It’s very simple. As more religious leaders who ordinary people trust fall victim to the virus, doubts and fears start building up in the hearts of many of their followers. This has prompted those followers to seek some form of backup beyond religion, turning to the vaccine. 

Ideally, all believers should do everything in their lives – including taking the vaccination – by faith. However, with their faith degraded by fear, some are now taking the vaccine as a substitute for their faith. 

Faith, the foundation of all religions, is taking a beating with the death of each religious leader across the world. In times of crisis like these, people look to their faith leaders for reassurance. However, when the faith of these leaders is seen as insufficient to provide safety in the pandemic, their followers are left worse off. These stakes are only heightened by the fact that some people see the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the plagues preluding the end of the world as indicated in Revelation.  

Role Models’ Death Devastating

In matters of faith, most people have role models, and usually, these role models come in the form of pastors, clerics, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders. However, religious leadership extends beyond the ordained. It includes parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, friends, workmates and all other people who may play different roles in installing and maintaining one’s religious beliefs. 

When these spiritual mentors suddenly die from COVID, satisfactory answers can elude mentees. The death of every person, whatever their religion, has a bearing on the faith of those who share in their religion. 

When these leaders, esteemed for their faith, succumb to a virus that is killing “others” out there, seeds of doubt can take root in their followers. Once doubt sets in, it invites its cousin, fear, which can irrevocably injure one’s faith. 

Nothing To Show?

Many governments across the world have closed churches, mosques, mandirs and other places of worship since the outbreak of the pandemic. One reason behind this decision is that these places appear to have nothing to show for their efforts to justify their continued opening.

While matters of faith usually play out at a personal level, calamitous moments like this should present platforms for various religions to prove to authorities that they serve a living God. Similar circumstances played out with the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 3 who stood against King Nebuchadnezzar and claimed that their God was the only one worthy of worship. 

 If the three boys had been reduced to ashes in the fire, surely the name of the Lord would have been scandalized. If King Darius had gotten no answer the next morning when – in an anguished voice – he shouted, “Daniel, has the God you served faithfully been able to save you from the lions?” In Daniel 6, what effect would that have had on those who looked to Daniel as their role model. 

The same would have happened to the children of Israel had the giant Goliath pulverized David in 1 Samuel or if Paul had died from the effects of the snakebite that he suffered upon landing in Malta in Acts 28.

Today the world appears to lack moving testimonies like these to convince authorities of the value of church. A number of those who have tried to stand up to lockdowns have only brought embarrassment to themselves in the same way the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19 did when they tried to evoke the name of Jesus Christ who, it turned out, they did not know.

Genuineness of Faith Being Tested?

With His perspective infinitely higher than ours, God takes some of His righteous ones early to spare them coming troubles  (Isaiah 57:1). However, some religious people believe that only faithless people should succumb to disease. Because of this, religious leaders dying from COVID can cause a crisis of faith.

Not everyone can fathom God’s divine purpose, which is beyond human understanding. A righteous life does not always lead to an easy and long life. Job’s righteousness actually invited untold suffering in the first part of his life.

Josiah was one of the best kings of Judah, who did many good things including comprehensive religious reform that pleased the Lord, yet he died in his prime from battle injuries (2 Kings 23). 

Ideally, nothing that happens in a believer’s life should affect her faith if she trusts in the Lord. But not every believer has a mature faith that only grows stronger with each (seemingly) bad situation. 

The genuineness of faith has to be tested (1 Peter 1:7), and this test comes through tough situations. COVID-19 certainly provides such a test. Many people may fail the test, with their faith never recovering from the challenges of the pandemic, which could be one of the enduring legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cyril Zenda is a Christian African journalist and writer based in Harare, Zimbabwe.