Being a Christian in the time of COVID-19
I’ll be honest, when I hear the word Christian or church the hair on the back of my neck stands up. It is a visceral reaction and usually accompanied by a literal or figurative eyeroll large enough to pinch a nerve now and then.
Christianity has been extremely politicized beginning with the presidency of George W. Bush and the emergence of “value voters,” where “values” became synonymous with the Republican Party. In 2005 when I interviewed for a position with a local, Democratic elected official his chief of staff could not understand how I was Christian and not Republican. I’m sure the questioning during that interview violated all kinds of rules, and I was more than happy to provide a different face for the Christian label.
Years of strategy by the Republican Party to build its voting base through evangelical Christian leaders and institutions has resulted in a Christian profile that looks nothing like me. On the extreme side it looks like a white man or woman in a MAGA hat, at a political rally, with a sign that reads “God, Guns & Country Trump 2020. On the more subtle side, it looks like a megachurch pastor who speaks casually and coolly and positions himself to be “anti-religion” while behind the scenes ostracizing and hurting individuals who don’t live up to the church’s narrow-minded definition of gender and sexual orientation.
Today, as our nation and communities deal with the worst pandemic and economic downturn since the Great Depression, the juxtaposition (dare I say hypocrisy) is unpalatable for me, a Christian. There are many others like me around, and the rise of the Christian right has led to a rise of the Christian left. And even this framing contributes to the politicization of Christianity. What characteristics should we focus on as Christians during this pandemic? I say we only need to look at Jesus’ example.
Instead of sending a crowd of 4,000 away after his sermon, Jesus recognized they had fasted and worried about their health (Matthew 15:32-39). So much that he performed a miracle and used two loaves of bread to feed the entire crowd before sending them home. The health of his congregation was more important than the act of preaching to a large crowd. Today pastors are encouraging their followers to attend mass gatherings (church services) in the face of scientific evidence that this puts their congregations at risk. Public health restrictions have been framed as an attack on religious freedom as if God isn’t big enough to do His work unless we gather weekly inside a building.
A leper approached Jesus (Luke 5:12-16) and asked for healing. Lepers were untouchable, unclean and to be avoided. Jesus, who could have spoken a healing word, reached out and physically touched the man to heal him. He knew this man needed healing, and he was also astutely aware that the man equally needed physical touch. He knew the power of physical touch and connection to those who are hurting and ill. Today we have people dying alone without the touch of their loved ones due to COVID-19 restrictions. We also have churches suing our government and defying public health orders despite scientific evidence of the detrimental risks of exposure in large gatherings.
Time and time again the Bible tells of Jesus communing with “sinners and tax collectors” to the chagrin of his followers and the Pharisees (the religious right of those times). Jesus broke down the us vs. them mentality. Today we need this reminder more than ever as we hear arguments by church leaders that “those people” who are at risk should stay home and that “those of us” who are not at risk should be able to gather without concern that we may unintentionally expose someone who then might expose someone near them that is at risk. This “us vs. them” is the foundation for messaging that has politicized Christianity over the years.
What we see in news cycles and through social media are Christians building their identity through political stances on policy issues around the economy, entitlements, immigration and human and civil rights. Christians are beginning to see policies in place of people.
Jesus focused on relationships and acts of service as the key ingredient for changing lives. Relationships mattered. Loving the unlovable mattered. If Jesus were here, I imagine that he and his followers would be outside of the church finding ways and areas that they could help, serve and heal others. I imagine he would say a new iteration of “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21), which was basically a reminder that our focus should be on our relationship with God.
There are many churches in our community attempting to stay out of the political fray. We don’t read about or see them in the news, but they have hundreds of thousands of parishioners doing amazing work serving their communities. Yet they stay silent against the “Christian” narrative that is being flamed and promoted politically. I’ve heard some leaders say that they “don’t want to be political.” Well, look around, your silence s the politicization of Christianity. Your silence is political.
If this pandemic isn’t a reason enough to speak out against behaviors that contradict the character of Christ, then I’m not sure there ever will be one.
