What is the voice of the church in 2020?
I have no idea.
I hear churches shouting about how terrible masks are, how everyone is welcome to come to outdoor services, how we are setting up events for families…but I hear Christians talking about how awful masks are, how the government doesn’t have a right to take away our constitutional freedoms, how the church shouldn’t cower in fear over a virus.
We are all getting conflicting information between the body and its members.
Which is it? Are we meant to be creating opportunity for people to come together or are we meant to be rallying against what our government is telling us to do?
I would posit neither of these positions hold to be true to how Jesus might want us to respond.
You may find yourself reading this and thinking, “I am not a Christian, so why do I care?” True, but I would offer an argument in which this cultural moment is becoming popularized among the Christian and non-Christian communities and the responses are becoming more and more vocal between both of these communities. This conversation is as important to you as it is to me.
If, however, you find yourself on the same page as me, then I would encourage you to think critically about what I say next.
The call of the church in this cultural, global moment is not to create more events and call people to come and see what the church is all about. The call of the church in this cultural, global moment is not to send up a rally cry against the oppressive government and the wrongs which are committed.
Instead, now is the time to go out and serve in the ways we can.
For some of us, we aren’t able to physically go out and serve. That’s alright.
For others of us, we aren’t gifted in ways which seem obvious for service opportunities.
Each of us, though, can love our neighbors and friends and family and offer support to those in need (whether financially, emotionally, etc.). It doesn’t take a genius to see so many opportunities being placed before us right now to be the hands, feet, heart, and mission of Jesus. To love God and love others.
We probably have a neighbor who has lost a job and their finances have been decimated. We probably have a family member who has contracted COVID-19. We probably have a co-worker who has struggled with mental illness for years and life is looking especially bad right now.
I have a family member who is suffering from all the uncertainty in the world. I have a friend who is in the worst position from a mental health perspective they have ever been in. I have lost a job in the midst of all this insanity and am struggling to figure out my next move for my family.
They could use an extra listening ear, a letter from a friend, some hope to know not everything is hopeless and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Those don’t take anything or anyone special.
Christian or not do we believe now is the time to argue and fight as people die and suffer and struggle to make ends meet and provide for their family? Is it truly worth it in the end?
Or are we bored?
Yes, we are passionate about certain issues. And, yes, we should do something. Right now may not be the best moment…or maybe it is. I won’t argue against maybe it is the best time to stand for certain issues. The majority are not worth the time and energy right now.
Our finances are not the most important thing right now. Our rights are not even the most important thing right now. Globally, people are struggling financially, people are dying of a virus which is real, people are killing themselves from the uncertainty of it all.
I could go on, but I hope you get the picture.
The church can do better.
Our voice should not be one of “come here” and “you suck” but should be “are you okay?” and “how can I help?”
We can all do better.
