Stay home. It is simple and clear. There is no room for error in the spread of this highly infectious virus. Gatherings both large and small create a risk not worth taking. Yes, even church gatherings of ten or fewer people are still problematic. Nobody knows where those ten people have been the rest of the week and who they may have been exposed to. This virus is a silent contagion whose spread is hard to predict.
As a dear friend of mine recently said: “Jesus rose from the dead, but you won’t."
My plea is to skip services Sunday: “Don’t let these pastors kill your sweet aunt, friends or dear grandparents.”
Already a some pastors criticize the pandemic as “mass hysteria” has himself died of the illness. Some school choir members who decided to continue practicing also died from COVID-19.
A member at another nation's church recently told reporters that she was “covered in Jesus’ blood." Then another person said, “the blood of Jesus kills every disease.”
I am not here to question anyone’s religious belief, but I am not sure putting one’s self, and others for that matter, in harms way is the sacrifice Jesus would have asked people to make. Especially if no greater good comes from it.
Those of us who believe in a higher being probably need religion more than ever now. The stress of living through a pandemic is enough to put anyone on edge. And plenty of us are turning to the church for serenity without actually physically attending.
We must remember religion and spirituality are not confined to the walls of a building. As they say, God is everywhere.
We pray at home. We read the bible at home. These days we can even attend services from home. Plenty of churches are doing the right thing by offering virtual services. I even read a story about a southern church that held services at a drive-in movie theater so people could watch from their cars.
Some probably have attended church more regularly in the last several weeks than in years. You don’t even have to get out bed. Church in your pajamas. It’s not the same as being in a spirit-filled sanctuary on Sunday morning, not by a long shot. But we are not in normal times.
I know that for many churches Easter is a big revenue day akin to Black Friday for retailers. Those packed pews help pay the bills. So all churchgoers who have not lost jobs and aren’t struggling financially need to do their part and give even when the sanctuary doors are physically closed. You can even make an offering while wearing your pajamas too.
Recently, a pastor, 70-plus-years-old and dressed in a suit and bowtie, preached from the pulpit of his small church in South Carolina. No one else was in the room except his nephew, who shared the service on Facebook Live. He was reluctant at first, and it took some getting accustomed to the technology, but now he can called a 21st century pastor.
If he can change with the times to protect his family and the members of his congregation — so can every pastor, priest, and rabbi in this country. And they should.
Please stay home until COVID-19 can be gotten under control.
God Bless!
Nana
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