In the days after the 9/11, I recall hearing one pastor say, “Now is not the time for doctrine. People are hurting, so they need love.” An easy takeaway from that statement was that he believed doctrine and love to be rivals. I hope—and will assume—he intended to communicate that tragic moments are no place for theologizing that is merely academic, because I would argue that theology and love, understood as matter of shepherding Christian sheep, are close friends.
Nearly 20 years later, our nation is facing a global pandemic with consequences far more widespread than 9/11. This is no time for pastors to stop comforting people with sound doctrine. Now more than ever, people need to know God as their refuge, their strength, their sovereign Lord, and their loving Father. That is the domain of doctrine.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed that times of crisis called for more theological preaching. For example, knowing the God of Romans 8 (which Paul wrote as a suffering Christian to suffering Christians) will bring believers comfort because he reveals himself there as a God who has called them, predestined them, justified them, is sanctifying them, and will ultimately glorify them. It tells readers important, glorious things about both God and man. “Times of crisis provide an opportunity to look afresh at God” and to look to find strength and comfort in him, writes Stephen Witmer in an article full of wise advice for pastors, “Lloyd-Jones: Help People See Crisis as Both a Mirror and a Lens.”