TUJAMSS, Vol. 7, No. 1, April, 2020
SAINT AUGUSTINE AND COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE FUTURE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Prof. Ikechukwu Anthony KANU Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Tansian University Umunya, Anambra State [email protected]
Abstract Scholars on Augustine have continued to raise questions regarding the position of Saint Augustine in the evolving state of affairs. His works are so immense that he has become a central figure not just in secular issues but in ecclesiastical circles as well. He possesses the qualities of the Fathers of the Church, such that it can be said that the thought-current of the Fathers culminates in the writings of Saint Augustine. In 2019, the Corona Virus pandemic befell the world bringing about changes in thought and organization all over the world, in both secular and ecclesiastical spheres. In the midst of the various questions arising regarding the state of affairs, this paper sets out as a response to the issue of the relevance of religion in the face of Covid-19. Taking from Augustine’s rich theological and philosophical backgrounds, it argues that God is beyond COVID-19 and that humanity must entrust herself to divine providence while taking the necessary precautionary measures listed by the government. For the purpose of this study, the Augustinian model of theology that places theology at the service of humankind was employed.
Keywords: Augustine, COVID-19, Pandemic, Providence, Future, Church
Introduction At the closure of church buildings and mosques in view of the Corona Virus, someone supposing that churches and mosques should be open at this time remarked: ―So religion failed‖. This phrase came at a time when the Corona Virus Disease (popularly known as COVID-19) globally had 292,142 confirmed cases with 12,784 deaths and still counting; these words were served at a time when the Western Pacific Region had recorded 94,787 cases with 3438 deaths; it came at a time when confirmed cases had risen to 151,295 in the European Region, 23,669 cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 19, 685 in the Region of the Americas and 739 confirmed cases in the African Region with deaths not less than 20. It came at a time when more than 350 cases had already been confirmed in Nigeria- a time when everyone was beginning to panic and feel unsafe.
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At the heart of these several concerns is the question: where is God in the face of all these? Why are churches and mosques closing up instead of providing healing? Why can‘t the God that we serve save us at this moment? The suffering Job, in about the beginning of the 5th century BC, had systematically questioned the compatibility of human suffering with the presence of a God whose nature is benevolent. In about the 4th century, Epicurus had also made enquiries in this regard. Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion puts the following words into the mouth of Philo:
Epicurus‘ old questions are yet unanswered. Is he [Deity] willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?
The British philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote in his autobiography:
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair. Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer. (p. 3).
The questions arising from our hearts at this moment of the Covid-19 were questions that Augustine once dealt with. In the face of evil and human suffering, he asked ―Whence then is evil? …How did it steal into the world? …Can it be that there is simply no evil? Whence then does evil come if God made all things, and because he is good made them good too?‖ (Confessions. 138). Taking from the teachings of Saint Augustine, an attempt would be made at finding meaning in the face of the present pestilence. The primary question, therefore, looming at the horizon is: what is Augustine saying to us at a time like this?
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Theology at a Time of Pestilence The scholastics understood theology as faith seeking understanding, however, in Augustine the study of God takes a step further, not as a point of departure, but rather it opens up in theology an aperture for a God-discourse for the service of humanity. Theology in Augustine becomes the study of God as Summa Simplicitas (Highest Simplicity) affirmed from our human point of view. Theology, therefore, within the context of Augustine, would involve an attempt to understand God, know Him and His perfections, the way He relates with us and the universe at large. From this perspective, we know God, not from what He is, but what He is not, also known as the via negativaor the apophatic approach- thus Augustine writes that: ―If you understand (something); it is not God‖ (Sermo117, 3, 5).
The basis of this theological approach towards understanding God is the limitation of the human intellect and language to capture or express the fullness of divinity. These limitations provide a ground for faith in Augustinian theology. Theology in Augustine would be incomplete without faith. He cannot be a theologian who has no faith. This is because whatever we succeed in knowing about God must be understood and verified in the light of faith or divine revelation, and even here, the analogies we draw in articulating our faith are often ―inexplicably surpassed‖. The theological implications here, is that even what we have come to know through faith will only be fully understood when we ―see Him face to face‖ (1 Cor. 13:12) and so the Augustinian theologian cannot but ―Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love and the future to His providence‖.
What then are the implications of the Augustinian model of theology in this time of pestilence? 1. Theology should provide answers to man‘s innermost and deepest longings, that is, the search for happiness (God), which the present pestilence of corona virus threatens 2. Theology would be irrelevant if it lacks a pastoral role. It should be able to respond to questions such as: what is the role of theology in a believer‘s concrete life? 3. What people are suffering (fear, loss, death, etc) at this moment of pestilence can better be understood within the context of our relationship with God 4. There is a limit to what we can understand in relation to the present suffering since our God who is Mystery cannot be separated from the mystery of human suffering
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5. Since God is involved, and our limited minds cannot go further than their capacities, we need faith at such a moment to make meaning or transcend the present darkness to see light 6. Augustine‘s stretching of the understanding of the relationship between God and man into eternity (when we shall see him face to face) reassures the living that even the dead are captured in this scope of hope
God is in Control In spite of the present pestilence, divine providence is not in doubt. God, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe, and is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe as a whole (Psalm 103:19), the physical world (Matthew 5:45), the affairs of nations (Psalm 66:7), human destiny (Galatians 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Psalm 4:8). Augustine insists that nothing happens by chance but within divine providence: ―But, perhaps what is commonly called fortune is itself governed by a certain hidden order. What we call a matter of chance may be only something whose why and wherefore are concealed. Perhaps nothing fitting or unfitting happens in a part which is not suited to the whole‖ (Contr. Acad. 1. 1.1). He strongly believes that Divine Providence is demonstrated in the event of creation and in the sustenance of the created order (Cf., Retr., 1,32; De mus. 6,17,56; Civ. Dei, 1,28; 12,4).
Augustine wrote a specific work entitled “On Providence”, which was addressed to Christians who were scandalized by the presence of evil in the world. This homily addresses the objections of those who deny God‘s providence and especially refuse biblical testimonies by claiming that God does not care for the world He created nor interested in the affairs of mankind. Augustine disproves these objections with recourse to argument from the order in nature. He went on to teach that the apparent disorder in the world is an order that surpasses our understanding. The most sublime of all proofs of God‘s care and providence for the affairs of mankind is the event of the Incarnation of Christ, which not only shows that God cares, but also reveals to what extent God is interest to go for the human person. Therefore, God cannot send His only Begotten Son to die for the salvation of mankind and still not be concerned about the affairs of men (Cf., Serm. de prov. Dei, 8).
St. Augustine‘s theology of providence does not allow for discouragement. The one who believes in God‘s providence cannot submit to desperation because he is convinced that God, the Lord of history, whose providence works in and through the
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wills of mankind, ultimately leads all of creation to its finality, which is ultimately for its good. Human events become significant when viewed in the light of divine providence. Therefore, at this time of pestilence, punctuated by death, ill health, loss, wailing, death, etc., our present condition can only be understood, in such a way that it conveys profound meaning, within the context of divine providence- that God is still in control of all things.
It is only within such a context that we are able to make meaning from the most unfavorable of events. It is only within such an interpretation that we understand that through unfavorable events, God burns away pride in the just and purifies their faith according to His infinite design (Civ. Dei, 8,17-18). The apparent joys of the wicked are only false happiness; if and when the wicked suffers woes, it is only God‘s invitation to them to deplore their evil deeds. The sorrows of the good is a means which God employs to increase their rewards; their happiness is a consolation here in this worldly exile as they await the joys that God has reserved for them in the world to come (Sermo de Prov. Dei 8). Thus, divine providence can order favorable events and permit adversities (Civ. Dei, 17: 23; 2: 29).
God Surpasses Every Pestilence Augustine understands history as history of changeable things, and for history to exist (changeable things), there must be that which is beyond history, the eternal, unchangeable substance, that is, God. And so, there is history because God made it; every particular event in history makes sense only from God‘s point of view. History is owed to what is beyond history – God. And if God is beyond history, it means that God can change history or intervene at historical moments. Augustine‘s description of God in the Confessions speaks of the hallowed place he gives to God as the Changer who remains Unchangeable.
What art Thou then, my God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful and most just; most hidden and most present; most beautiful and most strong, standing firm and elusive, unchangeable and all-changing; never new, never old;
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ever working, ever at rest; gathering in and [yet] lacking nothing; supporting, filling, and sheltering; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking and [yet] having all things.
And what have I now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what says any man when he speaks of Thee? And woe to him who keeps silent about you, since many babble on and say nothing (Conf. 1.4.4).
At such a moment of pestilence, only a God who is Most Present, Most Strong, Unchangeable and All-Changing can change the course of events. Augustine has also taught us that the human race is united in sin and rebellion against God and cannot save itself. Those who have met with Christ have learnt that they must trust Him completely and not rely on their own efforts, qualities, or inheritance for their salvation. To emphasize the possibility of a divine intervention and how God is present in human and profane history, Augustine writes that, ―When Herod was on the throne of Judea, and when Caesar Augustus was emperor, after a change in the Roman constitution, and when the emperor‘s rule had established a world-wide peace, Christ was born, in accordance with prophecy of earlier times, in Bethlehem of Judah.‖ (Civ. Dei. 18. 46. 827) It doesn‘t matter who or what is on the throne of human history, Christ is the Eternal King.
Our Personal Responsibility Although history in Augustine Theocentric (God centered) or Christocentric (Christ centered), although history is guided by divine providence, the human person is not just helpless with regard to history, but truly brings something new into it through his freewill. Consequently, this brings us to the table of our responsibilities of precaution and solidarity in the face of the Corona Virus Pestilence. a. Precaution Saint Augustine wrote that although: ―God created us without our help, He will not save us without our help‖ (Dialogues 23). This spells the responsibility of the human person even in the face of divine providence. At a time like ours when the Corona virus is spreading, the human person must take precautions by not dismissing the counsel of health officials, especially in such a situation when our country hasn‘t the
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wherewithal to manage real situations of outbreaks. The difficulties that world powers are going through in managing the situation should speak to us. We must recognize that religious leaders are not health officers. In spite of faith, the Jews were instructed to quarantine leprous people at a time when there was yet no medical cure (Lev. 13:1- 4). Jesus had faith in His Father; yet he answered the demon that was tempting him into rascality or a foolish show of faith: ―Do not put the Lord Your God to the test‖ (Matt 4:7). Having faith in God does not mean that you don‘t have to take precautions. When the Biblical flood was coming, Noah was asked to build an ark (Gen 6:9,17); when famine was immanent, Joseph stored grains (Gen 41:49); when Herod wanted to kill Jesus, Mary and Joseph fled with Him to Egypt (Matt 2:13-23); when Paul was to be killed, he escaped through an opening in a wall in a basket (Acts 9:23-31). It is better that we make mistakes on the side of caution without any outbreak occurring than be careless and unfortunately have an outbreak. In reality, the virus does not move. People move the virus. If it stops moving, it dies.
St. Augustine holds that God‘s actions are mediated through the will of beings endowed with a rational will. Such that even though God intervenes in creation, He intervenes through the cooperation of the freewill of rational beings, even of those which oppose Him (Civ. Dei, 8,17-18). At this time of the Corona virus disease, when we have been asked to take some precautionary measures like the reception of Holy Communion in our hands rather than tongue, removal of holy water from the entrance of the church, prohibition of hand shake during the kiss of peace, lock down of churches, etc., some are apt to understand this as an expression of lack of faith. Contrary to a lack of faith, through these precautionary measures, we are not only cooperating with God through our freewill but expressing the indispensable works that give meaning to our faith. Moreover, Jesus came to heal and save and gave the Church the same responsibility. Thus, the Church cannot by a misguided faith and religious zeal, contribute to people being infected and dying for lack of care and prudence. This is the God-fearing faith that is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God. You cannot ask God to protect you while you do what you want or nothing at all. b. Christian Solidarity A second responsibility is solidarity with the sick and bereaved. For Augustine, ―What is love but a kind of life that unites or seeks to unite two beings, namely the one who loves and that which is loved‖ (De Trinitate, 8, 10, 14). This has a great implication for our understanding of solidarity, a necessary congruent of Christian social responsibility and a basic principle of Catholic social teaching. Solidarity is also called
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‗being-with,‘ indwelling in which two persons in relation are both subjects and drawn into one another. It stems first from God‘s action with humanity through the giving of His Son – the Incarnation and is also used sometimes as a synonym of love. This is illustrated in this phrase Augustine puts in the mouth of God: ―Love itself makes Me present to you‖ (Sermon 1 John, 10.4). Therefore, God‘s presence in the human being becomes both the reason why we touch God by loving our fellow human being, and also the propellant for such love.
Augustine further illustrates his thought with the concept of Totus Christus, the ‗total Christ‘ which means that Christ includes all human beings on account of the reading of Paul‘s presentation in Romans 8: 22, which allots the groaning for salvation to the whole creation (van Bavel, 1986, 175). This responsibility must include the entire universe within this scope since today the call to compassionate solidarity urges us to extend our Christian responsibility to other components of creation, together with which we form the one common body of God‘s gift. The final case for the theology of Totus Christus comes from Augustine‘s elucidation of Christ‘s saying in Matt. 25, ―whatsoever you do to the least of these [brothers and sisters] of mine you do to me.‖ Augustine writes, ―Each of you expects to receive Christ seated in heaven. Turn your attention to Him lying in the street. Direct your attention to Christ who is hungry and suffering from the cold, Christ in need and a stranger.‖ (Sermon, 25.8.8)
Saint Augustine uses this analogy to further convey his message of love:
When the deer have to cross a river, each one of them carried on its back the preceding deer. In that way, supporting and helping each other, they are able to cross safely wide rivers until they reach together the stability of the land. (Miscellany of Eighty-three Questions,71,1)
In bearing one another‘s burden in love, Saint Augustine foresees the reward of eternal blessedness:
The responsibility of love is that we are to bear one another‘s burden, but this responsibility, which is not an eternal one, leads doubtless to an eternal blessedness in which there are no burdens for us that we will be required to care for one another. Now, how-ever while we are in life, that is, on this journey, let us bear one another‘s burden so that we can achieve that life which is free of every burden. (Miscellany of Eighty-three Questions,71,1)
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As families all over the world go through pain and loss during this period of pestilence, we owe them solidarity in every way possible and too diverse to mention.
It is a time to rebuild Relationship with God One thing that is quickly noticed about Saint Augustine is the emphasis he places on the importance of the relationship of the individual with God. In his Confessions, this is reflected in the intimacy of his narrative. The conversation is always between ―I‖, that is, Saint Augustine, and ―You‖, that is, God. In an important sense, his most important audience is God. This is such that he sometimes seems to forget the reality of his human audience. And so in Augustine, the relationship between God and man is supreme. This was deepened by the fact that he was brought face to face with his sinfulness and complete inability to save himself. He was forced to recognize that he had no hope other than to put his trust in Jesus Christ, who had died to pay the price for his sins. He had to learn that to be a Christian was to be in fellowship with the Son of God, to be united with him in a deeply individual union that rested on personal conviction, not on outward support or tradition. From beginning to end, his faith was a walk with God that could only be expressed as a dialogue between two spirits. Take that away and there would be nothing to speak of at all—no faith to confess and no life to live.
During these days of pestilence, circumstances have arisen for humanity to once again evaluate her relationship with God, and if there are times when we have failed God, the time has come to rebuild our relationship with Him. For the simple reason that Christ says: ―Cut off from me you can do nothing‖ (Jn 15: 5). The Psalmist says: ―If the Lord does not build the house in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watch man keep vigil‖ (Ps 127:1).
It is a time to Pray Saint Augustine understands our present life as a journey or pilgrimage towards eternal happiness- In his sermon he writes, ―On earth we are wayfarers, always on the go. This means that we have to keep on moving forward‖ (Sermo 169.18); in his Commentary on the Psalms he also writes- ―Earthly life is a pilgrimage‖ (Enn. In Ps. 80. 3). And happiness for him, is the uninterrupted enjoyment of God (De Civ. Dei. 11. 13). The function of prayer, therefore, is to assist us in shaping and strengthening our progress and desire towards God- who is happiness itself. In Augustine, prayer becomes a desire (Enn. In Ps. 37. 14). At such a moment in our history, Augustine would ask: what is your desire?
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Let us turn to God with the desires of our hearts and ask for mercy, grace and the healing of our land. Scripture says: ―If my people called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sins and heal their land‖ (2 Chron. 7:14).
Such a prayer ascending from a faithful heart will be like incense rising from a hallowed altar. No fragrance can be more pleasing to God than when we breathe out this perfume (Enn. In Ps. 140. 6). Let us not allow the present circumstance to change our faith in God, but let us drag our circumstance to the altar of divine providence, where God changes all things. The fact that church buildings are closed does not mean that the Church is closed or that the prayers of the saints have ceased to rise before God‘s throne of mercy.
Saint Augustine‘s understanding of prayer as a desire of the heart places it beyond the bounds of church buildings. In spite of the lock down, the Church is in prayer. Priests continue to celebrate the Mass every day in private, offering the Holy Sacrifice of Christ for the salvation and spiritual growth of all the faithful and imploring the Lord to deliver us from this terrible evil. The lay faithful, in their different capacities also continue to offer prayer to God. Let us pray and not faint. It is prayer that assures our safety in our pilgrim journey. Always remember that Churches are not being closed; buildings are being closed. You are the Church. You are to remain open.
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