We booked our spring 2020 NYC/Washington DC vacation back in November 2019, never imagining that on the heels of almost every location we visited, the coronavirus was rearing it’s ugly head in the United States.
When we arrived in New York City on March 4th, only 2 cases of coronavirus infections had been confirmed. The local news stations reported on it NON-STOP, assuring the public that the infected persons were quarantined and being monitored. The NYC subways were being heavily disinfected and businesses were taking proactive measures as well. We felt relatively safe going on our tours, visiting the popular sites, and enjoying our 5 day stay in the city. When we left on March 9th, there were 142 cases and NYC had more cases in the U.S. than any other state.
We arrived in Washington D.C. on March 9th and spent 2 1/2 days sightseeing. There were an estimated 5 confirmed cases in the District. Less than a week after we left, there are now 108 confirmed cases in D.C., Maryland & Virginia.
Needless to say my husband and I have decided to self-quarantine.
That includes: no going out to eat, attending ANY gatherings, leaving the house only in an extreme situation, and not attending church.
SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL SAVE LIVES PEOPLE!
O Ye of Little Faith
Last week, many city and state governments announced that they would be banning all public gatherings of 500 or more. Shockingly (or maybe not) a large number of Christians are balking at this mandate, because a lot of churches decided to close their doors and livestream their services. There were many who did not, however, and even though they ‘technically’ met within the requirements of the mandate (like First Baptist Dallas), some felt it was unfair to restrict places of worship, and even chided other Christians for not attending church. For example:
The logic that some Christians are using to justify defying the need for social distancing is mind-boggling to me. I’m sure these are some of the same people who would gladly stay home with a cold or flu, to keep from infecting others. Why is the coronavirus the sickness they shake their fists at? Why is THIS virus the one to test God’s faithful?
I decided that engaging further with this man was not worth my time, so I quoted this verse and went on my way:
“Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.”
Proverbs 27:12
Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, of King Jesus International Ministry in Florida mocked those who stayed away from services, saying that fear of the coronavirus was a ‘demonic spirit’ (read about it here). Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, said he had no plans to transition students to online-only classes, calling one parent a ‘dummy’ for raising concerns.
Patient 31
I read an article yesterday about the 31st patient they tracked with coronavirus. She is from South Korea, and contracted the virus while in Wuhan, China. This one patient’s interactions with the general public resulted in over 1000 infections. According to the article,
“In only a matter of days, those numbers had soared as hundreds of people at the Shincheonji Church and surrounding areas tested positive.”
She infected hundreds because she attended two church services.
There is also this story of a cruise ship passenger who tested positive for coronavirus and had NO SYMPTOMS, but was highly contagious.
This is why social distancing is absolutely necessary, and I am completely OVER Christians trying to shame other Christians for not exercising enough faith to attend services.
Here's The Rub
Shaming people over not attending church services during a global pandemic and couching it as a lack of faith is just tacky, and in my opinion, downright abusive. Also, it’s not Christlike.
The greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. That came from Jesus himself (Mark 12:31). I can’t think of a better way to love my neighbor than to keep from transmitting a potentially deadly virus to them. See how simple that logic is? At this very moment I could be infected with this virus and show zero symptoms. I have traveled to areas where there are now hundreds of cases. It is my responsibility as a good citizen to quarantine myself to protect those for whom this virus could be deadly. This is my duty as a law-abiding citizen AND as a Christian.
I think this tweet sums up the attitude of some prideful Christians quite nicely:
Interesting. What about the condemnation thrown at Christians who believe the risk is hyped more than it should be? No love lost there? I am a physician and while I do believe that coronavirus is a more serious virus than the typical influenza virus, I believe the harm from prolonged isolation and economic breakdown could prove to be more harmful for us than the direct viral toll.
Thank you for your perspective! When I wrote this post a couple of months ago, I could not have predicted how COVID-19 would spread & so much was apparently unknown at the time. Initially we (U.S.) were told that social distancing was essential for a short time, and that may prove to be true as time goes on. Of course the target kept moving and here we are, with devastating economic effects & people still unsure of how to live with the fact that the virus remains & will most likely circulate in the population like the flu. The 24… Read more »
Jackie Freeman, I totally agree with you. God gave me/ us a brain and I’m doing my best to use mine. If obeying the laws set for us and staying home, yes from Church too, is sinful, then I’m a sinner. We are all sinners, saved by the grace of Father God. If staying home from Church for a few days robs me of my Salvation, then I am wondering…do I REALLY have Salvation? Am I really saved by the blood of Jesus Christ? I think not! When the time is right, yes I will be back in Church. The… Read more »
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Agreed. You learn more about your pastors heart when you see things like this, than from what they preach from the stage. Anyone can learn to preach, especially when done similar to a lesson plan in a school. It is where their statements like these come from that place light on where they are really at inside themselves. In this instance the backdrop for comments like this is a place of Self, not a place of empathy and service to others. Keep pointing these things out so the sheep learn to better identify healthy shepherds to follow.
$$$ – don’t want to miss the collection, after the persuasion, from the pulpit.
For tech-savvy, the persuasion-collection-connection can work just as well, or maybe even better, online.
We stopped watching the virtual church programs for this reason – some of the preachers were very persuasive, and it takes just one click to give.