Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2020

of death to reconcile believers to our Creator through His substitutionary atonement on the cross. We have the opportunity to model to a watching world what it looks like to deal with adversity and to deal with a global pandemic in a different way. We don’t fear death because we trust in a sovereign God who has already secured our resurrection from the dead. But just because we don’t fear death doesn’t mean we can’t take the virus seriously. In fact, our love for others, our consideration of others as more significant than ourselves, our desire to treat others as we would want to be treated, means that we go out of our way to live with an attitude of humility, to avoid conceited social media posts or verbal jabs with sharp tongues as we try to live peaceably with all people. For Cedarville, we have a rural village that comes alive in a whole new way when more than 4,000 students show up from all over the country. This means we also pose the biggest danger to our community in the midst of this pandemic. We must be willing to wear our masks as we support local businesses. We must do what is needed to help our local economy stay open and thrive. Any steps that we can take to contain the spread of COVID-19 helps us all. Our local high school operates on a county system implemented by our state. If our University does not do its part to contain the spread, we could trigger an elevated status for our county that would impact local public schooling and sports. Love for others means that to the best of our ability we recognize our impact on others and try to serve our neighbor well. For our campus community, this also means that we watch where we go and what we do. Our students have been amazing so far this semester. The vast majority wear their masks and do what we ask without complaint. Yet, we know that over time, it will be harder and harder to avoid visiting cities; returning home for weddings, funerals, or other family events; and going to crowded public areas for various reasons. These gatherings increase the risk of bringing the virus back to campus. As such, we must be wise and cautious about what we do on the weekends, on trips, and during the winter break. We love others, which includes the students, faculty, and staff of the Cedarville community. Exercising personal responsibility while off campus will help us remain on campus this school year. My prayer is that we will recognize this time during the global pandemic as a unique opportunity to live out our faith. We do not fear death for Jesus has overcome the grave. We do not fear the future because we know the One who holds the future in His hands. Even with such confidence, we walk through life with humility. We avoid conceit that belittles others with sharp words of division and hostility. We consider others more significant than ourselves. We never know what someone else may be going through, so we show kindness. We love others and look out for their interest more than our own. This love for our brothers and sisters in Christ will signal to a watching world that we are different. When they ask why, we can tell them about the Savior who demonstrated “this mind which is ours in Christ Jesus.” Philippians has much to say about Jesus with His name mentioned in some formmore than 50 times in just 104 verses. Paul’s letter from a Roman jail in less than ideal circumstances reminds us that the mind of Christ allows us to rejoice and find contentment amidst any circumstances. In this time of uncertainty, we fix our minds on Jesus in order to experience the peace that passes all understanding. If we “know Jesus,” then in any circumstance, we can “know joy.” And that will allow us to minister to those who have “no Jesus” and “no eternal joy.” So, let’s put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves (“you”) last. When we do, we will understand that true JOY can be found in this mindset — and that is the heart of the matter. Thomas White is President of Cedarville University. He earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. We have the opportunity to model to a watching world what it looks like ... to deal with a global pandemic in a different way. Cedarville Magazine | 5