Loving our neighbor in the midst of Coronavirus.

Yesterday afternoon, Kootenai County, where a majority of my extended family and friends live, mandated masks in public areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Immediately, there was opposition and anger and outrage.

While I understand both sides of the mask dilemma, I am not here to politicize wearing one, as so many others have done.
Rather I am here to plead to you, as my christian brothers and sisters, to stop for a moment and think about the great effect your actions have on those around you.

To be honest, I am weary of watching those who say they follow the Prince of Peace do anything but promote peace.
I am disheartened to see those who are called to be Gods sheep, humble and compassionate, acting instead like ravenous wolves when it comes to protecting their “rights”. It pains me to see those who are called to be the light of the world, a city set on a hill, using their voices and platforms for everything but the advancement of Gods gospel.

No matter what you believe about the inception of coronavirus, it is here, and it is affecting millions of people. If ever there was a time for us as children of the King, to tell those living in fear and worry that there is hope and life and peace beyond all this, it is now! And yet so many of us are choosing to instead invest our energy into arguing about the effectiveness of masks and the conspiracies and motives behind our governments decisions.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the concerns that people have about our rights as a people, but shouldn’t we be more concerned about the lost around us and about our witness to them on Christ’s behalf? Shouldn’t we care more about things that will matter for eternity rather than moments that to God, are as a blink of an eye?

Jesus was a man of sorrows, for he was born in a time of great political unrest and division among his people as well. And yet, Jesus was not a political man. He didn’t speak out on the great issues of his day, rather he spoke about what people needed more than political peace- salvation, and peace with God. Jesus refused to be made king (John 6:15) and refused to become entangled in political debates (Matt 22:15-22). Maybe, most importantly, Jesus told his followers that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).

If we claim to be sons and daughters of Gods kingdom, then why are we becoming so entangled with a world we aren’t apart of?

If anything, instead of opposing our leaders, we should be respecting and obeying them, as the early Christians, whose leaders weren’t just taking away their rights, but taking away their very lives, were commanded to do.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” -Romans 13:1-2

I won’t lie, I have been on the fence about the effectiveness of masks and frustrated with the inconsistencies in studies and statements being published and made by members of the CDC and WHO. This is understandable however, given the novelty of this virus and the lack of information we have regarding how to stop it.

Part of me wonders however, is it more loving to my neighbor to strut around bare faced because I care about my rights to a greater extent than my potential effect on those around me, or to err on the side of more protective measures, rather then less, for the sake of loving my fellow man and doing my part, even if the efforts are minimal, to stop the spread of COVID-19?

Whatever your standpoint, and whether you choose to agree or disagree with me is completely up to you. When I look at scripture, of course there are no passages that favor or disfavor mask mandates, but over and over the theme of loving our neighbor, being humble and submitting to our governing authorities is repeated for a reason.
God cares greatly about it.

Jeremiah 12:5 says,
“If you have raced with the runners, and they have worn you out, how can you compete with the horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of Jordan?”

When I read that verse a few days ago, it pierced my heart and made me think about the body of Christ in these current times. If we are stumbling and stirring up conflict by opposing our government about masks mandates, no matter what hidden motives you might think are behind them, what will be our witness when things get even worse?

Paul himself said, “Although I am a free man, and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people…For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” -1 Corinthians 9:19,22

Like Paul, you are free to decide if you will wear a mask or not wear a mask. But please, consider the motives behind your choices and the effect it has on the people around you.

Please, obey scripture and respect, and not belittle and condemn our governing authorities.

Please, love your neighbor, and don’t ridicule them for their fear or for their decision to wear or not wear a mask.

Please, listen to the words of scripture that implore us to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10), “obey your leaders and submit to them,” (Hebrews 13:17) “have sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8) and “consider how to stir one another up to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24) and not conflict and opposition.

As Romans 12:18 says, we should, if it is at all possible, be at peace with all men and seek mankind’s reconciliation and not their demise.

You may have to answer to your government if you decide not to wear a mask. That is not my concern.

My concern is that so many of us will have to answer to God, because we are not clothing ourselves with the humility and love of Christ.

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” -Galatians 5:14