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I find it irreversibly damaging an act when we dare to display our faith by placing fellow believers and unbelievers in harm’s way. What do I mean by that? In this unprecedented pandemic, we have been given directives such as better hygiene, social distancing, an increase in vitamin supplementation, stop hoarding grocery items, maintain civility and stay calm in light of possible chaos and financial disruption to our economy. 

It is wise to follow these suggestions and not doing so to show our faith in times of difficulty is so spiritually immature. Our church does not exist within a building nor does it cease to exist if we distance ourselves physically from one another for 14 days, people. 

Find the courage to seek God in your own lives, putting your faith into action by self-isolating, by social distancing, through quarantine if the need be so we stop this disease on its tracks. 

A federal mandate to prevent the proliferation of an insidious virus is not spiritual or religious persecution so please do not make it one. This is a request from our governing body, both nationally and internationally asking that we do our part to save our local community, thus protecting the world we live in. 

Your boisterous faith is best displayed in your secret room where you pray for one another. Do not expect others to join you in mass gatherings or small gatherings to display to the world how much faith in God you have and how big God is in your life. 

God is the same no matter how many people a plague kills. No matter how many people live or die, God is God. (Black plague, Swine flu, mad cow disease, H1N1, Spanish flu and more to come). Do not allow pride to consume your heart because you want others to see how much you love God by putting yourself, your family members, your children, our elderly citizens and more in danger. 

That is not faith, that is disastrous stupidity. Stop it. 

And should you summon the arrogance to claim that the prayer of a righteous person avails much then please, by all means, pray for this disease to stop. If you’re as righteous as Elijah then it will. If your spiritual gifts are that of healing and/or being a conduit through which God operates miracles then go out and perform them, not for us to see but for the people who need them. 

But we don’t need your supernatural falsehoods and pride. What we need is for you to sit down for two, maybe three weeks at best and be quiet. Think about the people who need help. Buy them food and supplies. Call your friends. Call the lonely and ask how they are holding up. Reach out via social media, privately, and mend those long lost friendships. 

This is a time to quiet down and strengthen your faith, your mind, and your body. That’s it, Christians.  

We know and believe that this is not the end of the world so our conduct in these times will echo into eternity. Hang in there and we will get through this, one boring day at home at a time. 

Now, for some Bible references for those of you who are biblically literate but socially impaired. 

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” – Romans 13:1-7

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24

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