With so many people under quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic, many have come up with unique ways to pass the time. But imagine if we focused our extra time and energy on building up the kingdom of God. That’s what Sir Isaac Newton did, and as a result, he was responsible for some of the most incredible discoveries in history.
That’s exactly what my friend Fred Markert is seeking to do. Markert has sometimes been referred to as the “Indiana Jones of the mission field.” He’s very involved with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and has a huge passion for reaching the lost with the gospel.
Markert is encouraging Christians to take advantage of the quarantine and grow in their faith—just as Sir Isaac Newton took advantage of the quarantine he was under in 1665. At that time, Europe was experiencing another wave of the bubonic plague. (You may remember that in the 1300s, the Black Death killed 30-40% of the population in Europe. In 1665, another similar disease swept through.)
During that time, Cambridge University shut down and Newton, who was a devout Christian, was confined to his home for safety and health reasons. It’s not much unlike what’s happening today, though his time at home lasted two years! During his quarantine, Newton put his mind to work and came up with incredible discoveries.
Rebecca Hagelin points out several of the amazing things Newton did while in quarantine.
“COVID-19 didn’t send Isaac Newton into quarantine, but the Bubonic Plague, otherwise known as the Black Death, did,” she writes on The Patriot Post. “While in isolation for some two years, this man of God and brilliant scientist made some of the most important discoveries known to mankind. Not one to let the threat of a deadly disease or the disruption it caused in his life to get him down, Newton’s use of the quiet months still benefits us today. Specifically, Newton used his gifts of observation and reason to outline the Laws of Motion and Optics and to invent calculus. And the legendary falling apple that inspired him to contemplate what we now call gravity? The force was studied and named in the quiet of his family garden where Newton had sequestered himself.”
Markert says Newton isn’t the only one who can use times of isolation for great things. In fact, he says, “times like pandemics can really be some of the most creative times in our life and they are a gift.”
That’s exactly what Markert wants to turn this pandemic into—a gift. People’s natural tendency is to overindulge in television or turn to other vices while stuck at home. Markert says Netflix is up 40%, and porn sites say their traffic is skyrocketing. This isn’t how it has to be.
That’s why Markert and his friend, K.C. Craichy—whom I interviewed on my podcast recently—came up with the idea to invite Christian ministries to donate their premium content so believers stuck at home could consume it free.
“So instead of just wasting our sorrows, wasting our time, on Netflix and other frivolous things, we put together a website here and started calling all of our ministry friends,” he says. “We have quite a bit of that content to download and to watch and to read so people can better themselves during this time, just like Isaac Newton did. So we’re really hoping, we’re really believing for a revival in America that would touch the world as well. And we believe this is a great time to lay new foundations in our lives to really press into God and to develop ourselves to prepare for this next season for after the coronavirus.”
The Isaac Newton Project website has plenty of resources already that Christians can access free. The site has a section hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that allows people to have 24/7 access to prayer. They also have teachings and seminars by Andrew Wommack Ministries, Church of the Highlands with Pastor Chris Hodges, Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer and Doug Weiss’ Freedom From Porn Series.
You can also find entertainment with comedians like Tim Hawkins or animated classics like The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Make sure you check out the project’s website at theisaacnewtonproject.com. And while you’re browsing the many resources on the site, why not listen to my podcast with Markert? I think you’ll be inspired!
Stephen Strang