When it comes to defining “health”, psychologists claim that there are three interconnected aspects : physical, mental, and spiritual health. Social distancing, due to COVID-19, has created a huge toll on manys well-being. Many on the media talk about how to be physically and mentally healthy during a pandemic, but what about spiritual health?
Spiritual health is a personal wellness involving values and beliefs that provide a purpose in life. The goal is to build connectedness through hope, meaning, and purpose. Spirituality is different for everyone, but,to many, it directly points to religion. Statistics report that approximately 80% of Americans are religious- with 70% of Americans being Christians. This proves that spiritual health is a significantly relevant issue that must be addressed today.
Many countries have closed down places of worship- churches- to prohibit large congregation gatherings, in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In response, many religious leaders have spoken up, protesting that closures of churches infringed on their right- freedom of religion. Recently, there has been considerable anger toward some Protestant churches in South Korea for spreading mass COVID infections due to continued worship indoors.
On the other hand, thousands of churches throughout the globe have turned to online services, through live zoom functions or recordings. Creating a sense of belonging and connectedness for members is a crucial mission for religious leaders. In August, I attended a live online retreat called “KOUNY,” brought by Korea’s most famous Christian leaders such as Welove, Anointing, and other renowned pastors. This online retreat was broadcast live on YouTube by Welove, and attended by thousands of people around the world. It was truly wonderful to see Christians in the comments chat, sharing their personal hardships and confessing their faith as worship leaders led praise online.
Besides retreats, there’s a plethora of online services, podcasts, and sermons on various online platforms such as YouTube and radio. We don’t necessarily have to be present at churches with other people in order to achieve spiritual wellbeing; the bible emphasizes our personal faith and what matters is our personal relationship with God.
Just as our physical and mental health matter, our spiritual health is just as important. It is easy to feel isolated or separated since church social groups and conferences have become the things of the past, but that is only for now. As a regular church-goer, I truly commiserate with other Christians: I too miss going to church. But, adhering to public-health guidelines is a priority to expedite the time it takes for us to one day go back to church to worship God without worrying about this deadly virus. Seek out for ways to maintain your religious values and faith without risking public health for all. Stay indoors, trust in our God, rejoice always, and pray persistently.
