Insights Into The Covid-19 Church Era –Part XXII
“He who has ears; let him hear.” (Many New Testament References)
The public is awaiting the government’s response. It’s the same old, same old, blah, blah, blah: social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and do not congregate in groups. Not listening to sound advice, Covid-19 spreads. The public wants directions on how to properly socialize during a contagion, how children can return safely to school and parents to work, and how to keep the economy flowing without being susceptible to the virus. It is like the government has been blindsided like the rest of us, not knowing how to respond, appearing clueless, and contradicting itself.
Meanwhile, the laity, the congregants, the believers in Jesus are waiting for church leadership to respond, but only getting silence. When forced closed, the church moaned that they had the right to assemble, the right to free speech, and the separation of Church and State. When restrictions were lifted, they responded by returning to the status quo by performing their “Groundhog Day” Sunday Services in their marginally empty church buildings where social distancing was no problem.
With unemployment at its highest in history, “temporary furloughs” are becoming permanent job loses. With dwindling manufacturing jobs, the service industry is also being severely hit. Economic recovery will take time. How are we to sustain healthcare, our greatest employer, when paycheck-to-paycheck hourly workers already pay outrageous premium, annoying copays, and unreasonable deductibles. Here we are, a ½ year later, and no one yet seems prepared.
How is the Church preparing for the large number of unemployed among their ranks, evictions are about to become a reality, and there is a surge in homelessness? Are soup kitchens again going to feed the hungry? Who’s going to take care of the elderly, the widows, the single moms, the orphans, homeless, needy, and poor? Are we to be our brother’s keeper? When the 1st century church responded, they boasted that “there was not a needy person among us!” How is the 21st century, Covid-19 church responding? Silence prevails as the church reestablishes it old, outdated wineskins while filling it with old wine. Everyone seems to be floundering.
Church let’s be proactive instead of reactive! Let’ begin to make some noise. Let’s rattle some pots in preparation to minister to the hungry. Let’s bang some hammers and make power saws sing with Habitat For Humanity to be prepared to build affordable housing. Let’s glean necessities to store in our storehouses to be released during economic hard times. Let’s prevent the virus from controlling us; let’s begin to control it!