Author Kai A. Pineda Shares Her Perspective On Restoring Faith Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

The invasion of the coronavirus suddenly brought the entire world to a standstill. Businesses were closed and social distancing measures were implemented in hopes of slowing the spread of this contagious and deadly virus.

With almost three million deaths recorded around the world as a direct result of this fatal Sickness, this has led many followers of faith to wonder where is their God in the midst of all this destruction. In this tumultuous string of events and changes to the traditional setting and structure of how we define “going to church”, many followers have restored their faith and clung on to the one thing in the current state of the world that feels certain.

We had the chance to speak with Kai A. Pineda, a pastor, speaker, singer, and author of Dear Church, to speak about her views and perspective of the restoration of faith through this pandemic.

Restoring our Faith in God’s Intention with the Coronavirus

With the growing number of deaths and destruction in the world, many followers are questioning where God is in the middle of all of this and feel that he has maybe turned his back on the world. As Kai shares, “God has not forgotten us nor has He forsaken us.” He is still the same God as what we knew before so it’s important to believe in him now just as you have believed before COVID-19.

When we asked her to share her views of what God’s intention was with the Coronavirus, Pineda responded, “for the body of Christ to reevaluate and reset.” While as destructive as this pandemic has been, in a way it has allowed the country to truly, “reevaluate the way our government, business, economy, families, relationships, schools, our lives, and ministries are run.” This has changed the world in a way that will never be undone.

With this reset, it is more important than ever to, “bring God back into everything.” Now it is the time to restore our faith into His plan and proceed in making the person and presence of God greater than the program of our own vision.

Faithing Our Way Through the Pandemic

As people around the world struggle to cling to something amidst the chaos, more and more they are turning to their faith as a means to cope. As Kai shares, “Faith is the substance of the things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We have to restore hope in the midst of a famine.” It’s more important than ever to restore your faith in the world as it is and trust the process.

While many are feeling more the loss of the days and loved activities, they are missing the gains and opportunities to flourish during this time. Kai puts it best when she states that, “We cannot work our way through this without the anchor of Faith.” Now it is greater than ever to root yourself in your faith as a means to ground yourself.

It is important, as God’s children, to restore the faith in others by offering our help and services. The implementation of social distancing measures have forced many into isolation and away from common comforts. It’s important as Pineda shares to, “Be intentional about checking in on each other.” Although our ability to physically connect may be hindered, we can still “touch one another, heart to heart and spirit to spirit.” During times like these, we can connect with friends and family on a deeper level through messages of encouragement, praying together, and just generally showing others that you care. Our faith is how we connect through unprecedented times such as these.

Changes in How We Define Worship

The definition of what we traditionally considered worship through the church has also changed. We have restored our sense of faith by digging into our core. Rather than thinking that gathering in a church is the only way to worship, now families are looking into alternative ways within their own home to practice their faith. As Kai recommends, “Lead your family in prayer and study the Word of God.” or take the opportunity to use the power of technology to worship through online teaching or fellowship who is gathering.

Churches can restructure by creating groups within their congregation for people to meet online over various mediums to sustain their community’s communication. Pastors can teach a Bible study over live streaming social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. This is all contributing to the restoration of our faith through the power that we possess.

Restoring Faith

Unparalleled times like these are when our faith is restored in God’s plan. As Kai expresses, social distancing measures that have been implemented “have caused people to see the beauty and necessity of community and relationship.” We are missing people who we may not have even been connected with before this pandemic hit.

Through the pain, the coronavirus pandemic has inadvertently opened up opportunities for the church to reach people who are normally unreachable. As Kai mentions, “we have had people join us online who have never gone to a fellowship.” People are showing up now to restore their faith who were never able to before. This just shows how the impact of this pandemic is echoing through our faith as more people strive to “seek community and the Word of God in a way that is Biblical and not based on personal preference.”

How We Move Forward

The biggest question in minds across the world is how we will move forward after this global pandemic ends. As Kai shares, it is important now for us as God’s children to come together and “pray for the country and our leaderships.” While it’s hard to think past what the future will look like, now is the time to be present and instead embrace the opportunities that have been presented.

With this newfound restored faith, we will be able to move forward together, stronger than ever before.

You can learn more about Kai A. Pineda by visiting www.kaiapineda.com

Dove Bennett is a published author, serial entrepreneur and social activist. Dove lives is also a United States Army Veteran who lives Los Angeles, CA with her two young boys.