The national news focus in recent days often broadcasts pictures of people demanding that “stay-at-home” and business shut-down orders in response to Covid-19 be lifted.
In Harrisburg, PA, part of the protest gatherings shown on news clips included a green, tractor-trailer cab helping to tie up traffic and displaying a sign which read, “Jesus is my vaccine.” This pronouncement fit the belief that God was at work protecting true believers from the virus. So, no worries! Open up! What are you afraid of?
In startling contrast, there has been the story of the 1200-member Mount Nebo Baptist Church in Harlem, New York and its pastor, Rev. Johnnie Green. Thirteen members of the church died of the Covid-19 virus in 30 days.
Mount Nebo church is a congregation that believes in Jesus. But…maybe they are not true enough in their belief. They are staying at home complying with stay-at-home-orders from their State’s governor and church officials. Church members who ARE going out are first responders. They do their work of caring for others because of their faith in God. They seem to believe in a creator who does not inoculate us against virus, but rather ABIDES in us, and more importantly, STRENGTHENS each and all of us for the living of these challenging days.
So, what gives? Is Jesus withholding his vaccination powers from those at Mt. Nebo Church? OR, is Jesus really immunizing Covid-19 protection in the guy who drives a big, green truck demanding that America reopen…NOW?
As much as I find the big, green truck driver’s belief that Jesus is his vaccine a regurgitation of the ancient pandemic of superstition and exclusive, theological bluster, I sure get his desire to have things open up as they once were just a few weeks ago.
I get it that people are out of work, hungry, lining up at food banks to feed their families, and lamenting that EVERYTHING in our lives has changed, been postponed or cancelled.
I get it that this is a time of great, sudden loss. This is a time of sudden, tragic loss to death of over 55,000 fellow citizens at this writing. The loss of their lives, their presence in the lives of their families and communities and the grief at their passing cannot be calculated.
I get it that it is also the time of great loss for experiencing graduations, seminal life experiences like a high school prom, recognitions of long worked for achievements, long-planned events, vacations, playing with friends, going to school, taking trips and all manner of gatherings.
I get it that we want things to be as they were…and were being planned to be. It is a time of loss that all the Zoom meetings we can attend and all the virtual events we might experience with the aid of “a device” cannot touch.
But here is the thing.
It has always been the revealed truth that God is discovered, not in going back or opening up what has been lost, but in what is being discovered, made new, and better.
God is with all of us. Even with a guy blocking traffic in a green truck. But what God is DOING is being revealed in the lives of people doing all that they can to enable death to PASS OVER their families. God is being revealed not in opening up what has been, but in all the ways in which making things new open up greater good for us all.
The ways in which we worship, the ways in which we provide medicine and treatment, the ways in which we care for one another, the ways in which we shop, the ways in which we interact with family, friends and our various communities, it is all being made new. And, we are all being made new for the greater benefit of all. It is essential that we recognize God in the midst of us, enabling us to be a part of a new creation.
Believing otherwise just results in being alone in the cab of a big, green truck blocking traffic and lamenting that we cannot open what once was…and is now gone.