Does society's response to Covid reflect the deep issues going on in the Church?
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Covid regulations are a physical manifestation of what has already been happening in the church for years:
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Social distancing
Real fellowship is lacking, we connect more online and with technology than physically. We check in with each other but do we really love one another? Do we eat with each other in each others homes and share our lives together? A church service is not fellowship. Do we allow ourselves to get close to our brothers and sisters in the LORD, or would we rather keep a safe distance to avoid any risk or potential offence, retaining only surface relationships. -
Masks
We turn up wearing a mask - a pretense that everything is OK when we are hiding our true selves our struggles, our sin, our flaws. We need more realness so we can be free and live in freedom. Testify to what the LORD has done for us rather than living in slavery and bondage. Masks also represent a muzzling, a silencing and self-censorship. Not talking about the real issues that plague society but covering up truth and living a pretense. -
Hand washing
Trying to constantly make ourselves clean on the outside but are we dealing with inner sin? White-washed tombs. Religiosity. The Pharisees washed their hands ritualistically and judged Jesus and his disciples for not doing so, but Jesus said: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” (Matthew 15:1-20) -
“Bubbles”
We stick to our cliques of like-minded/cultured people. God wants to make one-new man but we purposely stay in our divided groups of what we are used to. God created diversity and doesn’t want a bunch of arms hanging around in one area while all the eyes are in another area. This goes for not only ethnic groups and cultures but also giftings. God doesn’t want a church of only prophets or only teachers, but we all need each other. Beauty in diversity - respecting and elevating each others differences - not keeping in our own same bubbles. -
Self-isolation
We often isolate ourselves and struggle through things alone. But we need our brothers and sisters as iron sharpens iron. God delights in our building one another up and the older teaching the younger. -
Government regulations and media influence
Church leaders are being led and regulated by the Government, by political correctness and pressure from the narratives in the media. Whether it is fear of losing money, buildings or being misunderstood by the world and labelled bigoted, the church has allowed, on some level, the Government (and the prevailing culture) to dictate how it meets, how it worships and what it teaches or stays silent on. Fear and self-preservation are affecting the church. -
Stay at home, do nothing to stop the spread and be a hero
Passivity. It used to be heroic to fight against evil and injustice, to serve the people who have been forgotten or have no voice in society. But now the church has believed the lie that it is most “loving” and “honorable” to live a quiet life free from any opposition, to live in a false sense of peace. That it is, better to stay silent and do nothing than to rock the boat. Better to keep the status quo and follow the ways of the world.
However, in doing so it stops the spread of the good news, of righteousness and of justice. We have become so passive that rather than obeying the call to go into all the earth and make disciples, we prefer a life of comfort and allow ourselves to be discipled by the media - the false teachers and conspiracies that we allow into our homes.
