Why is COMPANION necessary?
Without a doubt, the whole situation that we are experiencing with the coronavirus has disrupted our reality. Nothing is as it used to be. We have had to stop activities, to look for other projects and keep moving forward without knowing what the future will hold. Now some people might wonder if COMPANION will continue to be relevant when things calm down. After reading the news, seeing what God says in His Word and reflecting on all these things, I have come to the conclusion that COMPANION's work during and after the Coronavirus is more relevant than ever. Here are the reasons why I have come to this conclusion:
1. The elderly are a vulnerable group.
I think COVID-19 has made it totally clear that the above statement is a reality. In the Bible we see that God has always cared for the weakest. In the Old Testament, He ordered His people to care for the orphans and widows who, among others, were considered a vulnerable group at the time. We have an example in Isaiah 1:17:
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause”.
Therefore, if we currently consider the elderly to be a vulnerable group, God calls us, as His people, to take care of them. In addition, last week I read in a Spanish newspaper, “El País” [1], an article that spoke about why the mortality rate in Spain is higher than in other countries. And the first reason it mentioned is the aging of the population. Thus, older people are not just a vulnerable group, but a large group in Spain. That being said, we can conclude that COMPANION has a lot of work ahead.
2. Caring for the elderly is being a light for the rest of society.
The second reason mentioned in the article why the mortality rate of COVID-19 in Spain is so high is due to the strong impact it has had on nursing homes, which have also been overwhelmed and collapsed by the situation and the lack of resources. It will certainly take time for them to recover and the elderly will continue to be in need of help and care in the future. COMPANION may be a light in the midst of society, providing help and collaboration, according to its own capabilities. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus said:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”.
Without a doubt, the goal of all that COMPANION does is to glorify God and point to the love and salvation that is in Jesus Christ.
3. People need hope to face death.
Sadly, COVID-19 has also made it clear that loneliness and isolation before death are terrible. How sad and hopeless is that! As Christians, we have a living hope that we can offer to those who are near the end of their lives. In John Bunyan's famous novel, The Pilgrim's Progress, the main character, Christian, starts to cross the River of Death and begins to have a very hard time because his previous sins make him doubt and he feels great fear. However, he is not alone. His friend Hopeful is crossing the river with him and reminds him that God has not abandoned him and that he can continue trusting in Him. We all need, even if we are Christians, to be reminded of the hope we have in God when we face death. It is the desire of COMPANION that we can be like Hopeful and come along, as brothers in faith, at the end of our days reminding each other that God has not abandoned us. Likewise, we hope to be a light so that others can also know the Lord and have this hope and one day unite together in the “Celestial City”.
Ruth Cook