I’ve received several questions about the reopening of America. Should followers of Christ stand with those who want to prolong the lockdown in order to save lives, or should we endorse those who advocate reopening quickly even though it puts the most vulnerable among us at a higher risk? Will it do more damage to people, in the long run, to allow the economy to collapse while trying to stop the spread of Covid-19? Should the church open immediately, or is it wise to wait a little while longer to make sure we’re protecting the weakest in the flock?
Those are difficult questions to answer. The so-called experts disagree. The scientists’ projections have proven unreliable. Political leaders’ positions are all over the map. Bible scholars quote different passages to justify their varied positions. And there are so many unknowns.
Personally, I have strong opinions (which I’ll address at the end), but first, let’s tackle something I am certain about. I know the Lord does not want His people to be divided over the government’s healthcare guidelines. Just hours before He died, Jesus prayed that His followers would be united so they would have a positive witness to the world. The Apostle Paul urged the church to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit: because we are part of one body and we need one another.
I’m confident Satan will make every effort to divide the church over this issue. It provides him with a golden opportunity to pit believers against one another because convictions are strong, and emotions run deep. There have already been numerous examples of Christians bickering with each other and accusing one another on social media. I’m no longer surprised by the incivility of the world. However, I am deeply disappointed when people who claim to be followers of Christ viciously attack fellow believers with whom they disagree.
One believer blasted church leaders who planned for their church to reassemble as soon as possible by repeating the accusation that they were “conducting an experiment in human sacrifice.” On the other hand, a bombastic preacher called those who refused to meet during the lockdown, “…cowardly, compromising, noodle back, good-for-nothing, milquetoast preachers.”
Brothers and sisters, this should not be! It’s okay to disagree, but it’s not okay to intentionally slander others in the body of Christ. Name-calling, condescending remarks and nasty rhetoric have no place in a discourse between those who claim to follow Jesus, who commanded, “Be kind one to another.”
One hot-tempered Christian excused his lack of self-control by explaining, “I can lose my temper quickly, but it’s over in a minute.” So is a tornado, but there’s a lot of damage that has to be cleaned up afterward. An explosive temper and verbal tantrums do horrific damage to the body of Christ. Solomon said, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (Prov. 29:11).
Those of us in the church don’t need to emulate the world’s contentious spirit. While we’re told to “fight the good fight of faith,” make sure it is the fight of faith you are fighting. We don’t always have to choose a side in political battles and fight for it. We can respect those who disagree with us and be humble enough to admit we don’t have all the answers.
Sometimes the wisest response is, “I’m not exactly sure what needs to be done, and if you disagree with my position, you may be right.” The Bible says, “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel” (Prov. 20:3). So let’s refuse to regard someone with a different perspective as an enemy or castigate them because they have a different viewpoint. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
If you think the government is opening too soon, then continue to shelter yourself and pray and check in on those who are vulnerable. If you need to go back to work and are healthy enough to gather at church, then be careful to protect yourself and those around you by being wise and considerate. In the meantime, “Let your conversation be seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6) and, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Additional thoughts:
Copied below is the most reasonable response I’ve read about America’s reopening. I’ve been unable to identify the author, but he/she demonstrates a lot of common sense on this issue. It convicted me that while I’m impatient and eager to get restarted, I need to be more understanding of those who don’t share my aggressive nature. While I can’t waver on Biblical truth, I can practice tolerance and grace in matters of opinion. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes to read it.
On Re-opening, Author Unknown
I am seeing so much anxiety about resuming business and so much anger about continued regulations. People are feeling the need to catapult to one side or the other, then fight the opposition.
Here’s my perspective, from a mainstream medical model. I think a lot of folks have fallen into the idea that social distancing was meant to stop the viral spread. It wasn’t…it was meant to SLOW it while we put medical infrastructure in place. It has worked. We have, in most parts, not been overwhelmed like we likely would have been without protective measures. In the meantime, our testing procedures have gotten better. We’ve increased our ventilator count. We’ve gotten a little better handle on PPE supply chains, and many have helped by making masks and gowns. It’s not perfect, but it’s much better than it was seven weeks ago.
A vaccine is a long way off. At some point, people have to be systematically exposed to begin the building of (hopeful) herd immunity. We will likely begin to experience a real increase in cases after reopening. Ideally, that exposure is controlled and calculated, in phases, to allow our medical community to respond adequately and reduce the number of severe or fatal cases. That’s where we are.
Whether you feel like opening is too soon or not soon enough, we were never going to social distance this thing into nonexistence. You now need to proceed as your health, wallet, and conscience allow.
If you are medically vulnerable, you do not need to be a part of what is about to happen. Stay home if you can. If you’re not or if your financial vulnerability trumps your health concerns, you need to proceed in ways that continue to protect yourself, the elderly, and medically vulnerable around you.
All of us need to calm down. Quit telling people who are financially struggling that they don’t care about human lives. Quit telling people who are truly at risk of dying from this virus that they are cowering in fear. Remember that until you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, you should probably be careful in your judgments and subsequent harsh words.
We don’t HAVE to choose an either/or proposition and fight. We could choose other ways to respond. Examples include but are not limited to:
“I think this may be too soon, so I will continue to shelter myself, and pray/make masks/ check on those who can’t.”
“I really need to go back to work, so I will do so, but I will be careful and try to protect myself, my family, and those around me with healthy strategies.”
See how those positions allow each of us to do what we need to, and also respect those who are choosing differently?
One thing that allows us to do this is humility. I can acknowledge that I am not an epidemiologist/economist/ whatever, that I am making decisions based on my understanding of complex subjects and my own personal health and financial situation, that I am not all-knowing, always right, and an expert in all fields, and that each person around me is doing their best too. We can make different choices and still be a supportive community. We can learn and evolve in our understanding of these issues.
Amen! Sounds to me like a response that would please Jesus, who said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” And, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
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