How Should A Christian Respond During the Pandemic?

 How should a Christian respond during the pandemic? Probably not like me.

Wearing or not wearing masks is a litmus test for: 

1. How smart you are
2. Whether or not you love people
3. Whether or not you support racial equality (I seriously read an blog/article about this the other day)
4. If you truly are a Christian 
5. Who you are voting for in November

Supporting Black Lives Matter and the Defund the Police movement determines:

1. Whether or not you care about black people and racial minorities
2. If you love our country (which can be construed positively and negatively)
3. Who you are voting for in November

Sending your children to school in the fall means:

1. You do not love your children or your community because you want COVID-19, the Coronavirus, SARS-2 (pick your name) to kill people around you so that you can live.
2. You do not support teachers and think they are expendable because their health doesn't matter.
3. You are stupid and do not understand viruses. Interestingly, you can be stupid with advanced medical, science, and even epidemiology degrees if you do not agree with a certain opinion or a certain scientific study.
4. You're not a team player and should be shunned by the world.  In some cases, you should die because you are the cause of the problem.
5. You were voting as a democrat when you supported this idea in June, but now you are a republican.

And more recently, I learned that donating anything to anyone who needs it, even if they requested it, (including cash) means you want them to die because everything is contaminated with COVID. This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Because of all of these assumptions and conclusions, my behaviors have changed drastically.  Now:

1. I no longer attend church in person.
2. I unfriended most of my facebook friends.
3. I have severed nearly all of my in-person friendships.
4. I avoid discussing any important topics because I do not want to deal with other people's extreme emotions.
5. I like people less.

I am growing very weary of this new way of living. It is sad, depressing, and lonely. Thankfully, I have a wonderful family, but I also see my children struggling with the new "home jail" lifestyle as they put it. Sometimes I believe God has called me to be different - to intentionally connect with those around me even when all I will hear is complaining and criticism. Yet, when I try, it never goes well.

Do Christians honestly understand what God is calling us to do during the pandemic? Are we really following His lead? If we are, why is there so much divisiveness in the Christian family? Does God honestly lead in opposite directions?

I remember many many years ago, a pastor wanted to take a trip to visit a group of people who were in desperate need of Christ. These people were not known for their violence, but they were distrusted by the Christian community as a whole. The pastor was instructed not to go because the congregation believed his safety would be in jeopardy. He did not go. The gospel did not reach this group of people through him, and I shook my head in disbelief. Is the gospel not worth dying for? Is our physical safety more important than everything else in the world?

When we make physical safety our master, we are not serving God. When we make an upcoming election our master, we are not serving God. When we intentionally isolate ourselves to avoid all external relationships, we are not serving God. America's priorities are always a bit off, but Christian Americans should always be mindful that God is our master.

I have not responded well during this pandemic. I have chosen to isolate myself from people because I do not want to deal with them. Unfortunately, that means I have placed people on the throne where God alone belongs. Whenever we allow our circumstances to usurp God's authority in our lives, we have sinned.

This week, I pray I will hear God's instruction and follow it regardless of worldly consequences. I will also pray that God will quiet my own opinion and smack it back down into its proper lowly position. Let us be the Body of Christ we are called to be.

It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. ~Deuteronomy 6:13