Caution or Cowardice?
Caution or cowardice? This was a question posted on Facebook by a pastor who was struggling with the response to the Covid-19 situation. Surely many pastors are struggling with the question. If your pastor is struggling with it, be patient. If he’s not, beware. There are so many sticky issues involved. It’s not, however, an issue just for pastors. All of us should be working to discern the situation as it affect us and our families. Difficult problems are solved by starting with solving the easy parts first. Once the easy parts are out of the way, the rest tends to open up as we move forward. So let’s take a shot at what we can handle right now, and then we can work what we have into each of our individual situations.
1. If you are holding back, cancelling worship services for example, first and foremost don’t throw stones at your brother who is taking a stand and continuing to meet. You may have good reasons for what you are doing, but understand that you aren’t by his side when he needs you most. So little gets done where it really counts because if you look at any particular issue the front lines are very lonely. This is a shame because the small minority that it takes to change things is often short by a few people.
2. Now is not the time to extol the virtues of submission to authority. It is a time when illegitimate authority is rearing its ugly head, and it needs to be opposed. Principled disciplined opposition to unlawful government actions should be encouraged, not discouraged or condemned. Don’t be a revolutionary, but DO be a reformer.
3. The party line on COVID-19 being pushed in unison by groups like the WHO, NIH, UN, CDC, CNN, NBC, Fox, state and federal governments, etc. etc. should raise clear, detailed, specific questions in your mind. If not, you may be lacking understanding. Don’t feel bad, you are in large company. But if you do lack the knowledge, background, and understanding that some have acquired through study, prayer, and action, take some time to listen to them. There is staggering irony in those who regularly rail against “the crooked news media” and then mock those who actually question with intelligent detail the things that are peddled by them.
4. Pray. But first seek the truth. Simply praying for a situation based on information that is highly suspect at best is not effective prayer.
-Jim Mogel
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