January 22, 2022

While there has never been a local mask ordinance where I live, the grocery stores have very clear signs posted out front, indicating that masks are required to shop. Nearly every time I’ve shopped for food over the last two years, I have seen someone from my church unmasked. One was even wearing a hoodie with our church’s name and logo on it. I feel a little gross writing about it here, so many months later, unable to say I made peace with it or even addressed it with people.

I’m still new here. I’ve only known pandemic life here. For many at my church, my work at the hospital represents an agenda that feels scary and threatening. I am not sure how to form deep, meaningful relationships with Christians here fast enough to earn the relational equity required to run into someone at the grocery store and say, “Hey, friend. I notice you don’t wear a mask, at church or anywhere else. But they’re required here at this store. Did you know we are down 60 staff at the hospital this week? Please, follow this grocery store’s simple request for the sake of your community. I know you probably think you don’t need one or you hate wearing one and faith over fear and all of that… but my actual skin is breaking down from being in an N95 ten hours a day and I have faith that you can cover your nose and mouth for a grocery trip or an hour of worship. Please.”

Forget vaccines. Don’t worry – I don’t want to talk about those, either. But I do not understand folks who claim Jesus and won’t wear a mask, when asked, during a pandemic. I will continue to love them and serve them and worship alongside them, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to the make the connection between following Jesus and refusing to follow a local business ordinance.

The science has never promised that wearing a mask will keep me safe from disease, but that masks keep me from hurting others. This has been proven time and time again, an argument only strengthened as we drag on through a second winter with record low cases of flu, head colds, and stomach viruses. Who wants to bring those bugs back? Not me.

I cannot find evidence in Scripture for defying a public health mandate, ordinance, or even small business rule. I don’t see a single example of Christians maintaining control or influence of a region. In fact, the first church was underground, in the era of Roman empire. I see both Jesus and Paul reminding Christians over and over again that this world is not our permanent home and we are to live in it as harmoniously as possible. This video both did and did not surprise me, as hundreds of CPAC attendees cheered for personal liberties and property rights, and then booed when asked to don a mask out of respect for personal liberties and property rights. Imagine Jesus getting halfway through the beatitudes in Matthew 5, and the crowd boos as he tells them to go an extra mile when compelled to walk one. Who knows? Maybe it happened. Jesus’ words were often received as scandalous and nonsensical.

I wrote most of this a year ago and unfortunately, it still holds true. I’m not as angry or shocked as I once was, but I still regularly find myself disappointed and confused. It’s getting harder and harder to recognize the Jesus of the gospels in the Christians of America.