What I'm about to say doesn't necessarily apply to everyone, but it needs to be said in a general fashion so everyone can think about it. Church ministry teams are hurting and missing opportunities to care for people and meet spiritual needs because people are "holed-up" in their "basements" and not willing to come out and help. Some people have conditions and/or are of an age that they should stay in awhile longer (though it's the aging folks that often show up in spite of the virus because they know the importance of the church). But, I'm pained by otherwise healthy people misusing the command to "love your neighbor," as if it means we can stay locked up in our "cocoons" until all the trouble passes over. (Of course, it's OK to go to work, school, grocery store, big box stores, restaurants, vacation, etc.) "Loving your neighbor" SHOULD mean we get out of our "basements" to help people and meet them in SAFE ways...like we do at our church. The command Jesus gave was an active one, not a passive one. The Good Samaritan was the example Jesus used about how to obey that specific command. The Samaritan got OUT OF (!!) his comfort zone, did something that was dangerous, sacrificed himself for someone else, offered his own resources to help...etc. etc. (It's a good thing Jesus didn't take the approach that some believe is the "spiritual" thing to do. Had He done so, we'd still be lost in our sin!) People should wear their masks, socially distance, wash their hands, but people are hurting and dying right now that don't have COVID-19! There are too many that have died from the virus and my heart is sad/broken for their families. We have had a dear lady die from our church with the virus and my heart aches every...single...day for that sweet, godly family! Having said that, there are more people dying from other things than the virus that are going into eternity without any hope...while we say we are protecting "them" from contracting the virus. It feels very much like we've become focused on saving our own lives rather than helping to save the "eternal lives" of others. God isn't going to make an exemption to Heaven for those that needed the Gospel or His loving care but didn't receive it because of a pandemic. I don't think He's going to say, "Well, you lived during 2020 and those circumstances will allow you special entry into Heaven." God's church can't wait till the pandemic fully ends to go back to active ministry. If the past 10 months have reminded me of anything, it is that the church is ESSENTIAL to people's lives. If it isn't "essential" to some Christians and they can be content staying home in their jammies, that speaks volumes about where churches are spiritually. Every Christian needs the gathering of believers, even in a pandemic! Besides, a lot of people aren't going to take the vaccine, so I guess they'll just stay home forever. We have people coming to services and struggle to fully care for them because we only have a skeleton crew showing up to serve. How about "loving your neighbor" by serving alongside others at church and lending them some help? Why do we use the command of scripture and just apply it to the spread of the virus. A lot of really good people are giving everything right now and are hurting because they don't have enough hands or hearts to love the people that are coming to be loved with the love of Jesus! It's time we take reasonable precautionary measures and then get to work. Lives are depending on it and their eternal destinies hang in the balance.
