"These things agitated the minds of the people"

they flocked to the churches and meetings, and they were all so thronged that there was often no coming near, no, not to the very doors of the largest churches. Also there were daily prayers appointed morning and evening at several churches, and days of private praying at other places; at all which the people attended, I say, with an uncommon devotion.     ~from  A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe

Let's take a minute to imagine the situation in 17th century London, where a terrible pandemic was surging through the households of the city: the Bubonic Plague. The effects of the disease were frightening and violent: swollen lymph nodes, fevers and rashes, blackened limbs as gangrene set in, vomiting of blood, and death.

What a frightening time it must have been.

With all that going on around them, many desperate people sought answers, protection, and comfort. Many turned to charlatans who were popping up everywhere: fortune-tellers, "quack-conjurers," and "pretenders to magic, to the black art, as they called it."

Fortune teller reading palms

Defoe tells us that these opportunists gladly took the money of "the working labouring poor," who lived in the regions hardest hit, and provided answers (clearly made-up) to questions like "Will my mistress keep me, or will she turn me out?"

Of course, many people in 17th century London turned to religion. But according to Defoe, some of the day's preachers served up guilt and fear, driving them to despair rather than ministering to their spiritual and physical needs.

Defoe criticizes this fire and brimstone approach, and wistfully shares what he thinks the churches of his day should offer instead:

indeed, as God Himself through the whole Scriptures rather draws to Him by invitations and calls to turn to Him and live, than drives us by terror and amazement, so I must confess I thought the ministers should have done also, imitating our blessed Lord and Master in this, that His whole Gospel is full of declarations from heaven of God's mercy, and His readiness to receive penitents and forgive them, complaining, 'Ye will not come unto Me that ye may have life', and that therefore His Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace and the Gospel of Grace.

The Other Dr. Nesmith and I have been finding community and spiritual sustenance in Facebook Live services offered by our church, St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids.

Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Sherrie holding a Facebook Live church service.

Today, about 120 other people were participating in the service with us--from their homes! It's not the same as being in the same building with them, but hearing the "declarations from heaven of God's mercy" brought us the strength that we need today.