Covid-19 & the Christian Church.

What does it mean to love your neighbor?

The church has been wrestling with this question since its birth.

Jesus tells us very pointedly in Mark 12:31 that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves -- but what does that look like? Especially during a time such as this.

Today in America (August 2 2021) there have been 135,811 new cases of Covid-19. This time last year, our nation was totally and completely closed; now, we are trying to push forward, pretending that things aren't getting worse again, hoping against hope that we won't see another lockdown. My church was closed for almost three months, serving our people virtually with online sermons on Sundays that were a desperate attempt to keep us engaged when engagement was all but impossible. We still haven't recovered from the jarring shock of this pandemic.

And now, I've seen so much inflammatory language and so many nasty arguments over whether the church should be promoting Covid-19 vaccinations or not. Should Christians get the vaccine? Is it even something Christians need to be talking about? The disagreements I'm hearing and seeing have reached a point where the Church is doing a bad job of looking like Jesus.

If we are called to love our neighbors, and told to treat them the way that we would want to be treated, we aren't doing a very good job.

Here's my take: I personally don't care if you get vaccinated or not. That's your business, because that's your body. But what I can't stay silent about is the level of judgement and vitriol that's coming from the mouths of Believers in regards to others' choices. We are not honoring one another well, right now. In fact, we're doing a pretty poor job.

I know that you are scared and worried and stressed. But if we're called to love each other, what are you doing to follow that command? Are you loving or judging? Are you being gracious and understanding or are you allowing silly, worldly things distract you from the Kingdom-Building we're supposed to be working on?

Look, I will wear my mask despite being fully vaccinated if it makes my neighbor feel more safe and comfortable. I will endure some discomfort for the benefit of my brother or sister. I will socially distance and avoid social functions if it means limiting my exposure so that I can give my parents (who are immunocompromised) a hug when I see them. I chose to be vaccinated because I felt like it was the loving thing to do; you may think NOT getting vaccinated is the loving thing to do to your body and your family's bodies. That's totally fine! I'm not here to make decisions for you on what loving others looks like in your own life. What I am telling you is that you don't have to show up to every argument, fight, disagreement, or challenge you're invited to. I'm encouraging you to act and make decisions based on loving-kindness and not self-centeredness.

Jesus tells us to look outward because He knows that when we focus solely on ourselves and what makes us feel good or what we want/like, we risk breeding selfishness instead of cultivating love.

If I'm here on this planet for one thing and it's Jesus, then I want to do my best to cultivate love rather than discord because that's what Jesus said I'm supposed to do.

Romans 13:8 tells us that we owe people nothing except love; please don't lose sight of that just because times are tough.

Alright, I'll get off my soap box; I know you'll forgive me for being preachier than normal. :)

But please remember to love, today. No matter what choices you've made or choices someone else has made; if we all focus on just doing the loving thing, we'll see grace run rampant. And that's really what we need -- grace on top of grace, love on top of love.