What good can come out of Shelter in Place?

Last night I was on a Zoom call with 15 men and women who lead city transformation movements around the country. Many of them have been coming to Lost Antler Ranch in Estes Park Colorado for a 4-day retreat where we share best practices and generally just hang out. Here are a couple amazing insights:

Most of the podcasts I listen to seem to be giving a message of “Just hang on…God is in control…don’t give up.” The men and women on the Zoom call are taking a way different approach. Jon Talbert, who is one of the founding directors of Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC) had the incredible insight where he made the comparison between today’s “Shelter in Place” (SIP) to the good that came out of the Apostle Paul’s SIP—“Shelter in Prison.” There were at least three great things that came out of Paul’s time in prison…but he only recognized two of them:

1. Now, concerning myself, I want you to know, my brothers, that what has happened to me has, in effect, turned out to the advantage of the Gospel. For, first of all, my imprisonment means a personal witness for Christ before the palace guards not to mention others who come and go.
2. Then, it means that most of our brothers, somehow taking fresh heart in the Lord from the very fact that I am a prisoner for Christ’s sake, have shown far more courage in boldly proclaiming the Word of God.
3. (And here’s the most important one that Paul couldn’t see) When Paul was in prison he wrote four of the most important and profound books of the New Testament; they’re called the “Prison Epistles”—Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. And here we are, 2,000 years later being the beneficiaries of that sequestering. In Jon’s words, “This was not a setback but a set-up!” Great insight Jon!

Creativity thrives on constraints and shortages. What constraints are we facing now that are actually going to produce a better life for more people going forward? The COVID-19 pandemic is not a setback it’s as set-up.