The church in India is facing special challenges during the era of the coronavirus pandemic.
Social distancing and quarantine in India may be what’s ordered, but for many families, it’s simply not possible.
One man told a BBC reporter — “I earn 600 rupees every day. (that’s about 8 dollars) and I have five people to feed. We will run out of food in a few days. I know the risk of coronavirus, but I can’t see my children hungry.”
Millions of other daily-wage earners are in a similar situation. The lock-down means they are now facing no prospect of income for the several weeks. The likelihood is, some will run out of food in the coming days.
Even while the world is caught in the grips of the coronavirus, the church’s mercy ministries to the most vulnerable must carry on. In India, several ministries are still making the rounds to care for orphans and widows who are often completely dependent on the church’s aid.
Many ministries around the world face similar dilemmas as their countries struggle to balance health, safety and fiscal issues.
One newspaper reported, “There has been growing concern over how huge numbers of poor workers in the developing world will cope if strict quarantine measures are imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. With large numbers lacking sick pay and savings to cushion the economic impact, or any way to work from home, there are fears many workers will be forced to choose between destitution and defying restrictions….”