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Churches Flouting Pandemic Rules Need A Come-To-Jesus Moment
COVID-19 has been difficult on everyone, and the church and the people of God have certainly experienced the same hardships. I started my current pastorate at the height of the lockdown in April. It was three months before I preached to actual human beings instead of a camera.
As 2020 has progressed, and the various restrictions have been strengthened and loosened, churches have not been immune to the challenges those restrictions have brought. Pastoral care and counselling presented new challenges despite heightened need. Children’s and youth ministries had to adapt to ever changing guidelines while trying to stay relevant and teach biblical truth.
But we adapted. We adapted because we wanted to continue connecting with people while also balancing the sanctity of human life. We found new ways to offer church programming and we got creative as we cared for one another. We tried to be responsible when we were permitted to return to in-person gatherings, and we made sure we were diligent in following the various governmental regulations.
Or at least most of us were.
By now all of us have seen the headlines about churches willfully ignoring the safety of their congregants. Pastors who are “honoured” to be paying fines for flagrantly disregarding public health orders. Faith leaders who claim that any restrictions on in-person gatherings amount to persecution.
It seems that whenever we hear or read about any of this, the biblical truth that each life being endangered is created in the image of God and therefore sacred is conveniently omitted.
Claiming that we’re being picked on is as ridiculous as it is insulting.
I am not a doctor, or a civil rights expert, or a politician — and there are many reasons that I am not any of those things. So, I can’t speak to the science or law or decision making. But I am a minister of the gospel. I’ll stay in my lane. I’ll speak as a minister to communicate openly how I believe believers should be behaving in response...
