Sadly, to wear the mask or to not wear the mask has become a political statement in America. This thinking has spread to churches, so that some are requiring masks for in-person worship, while others are barring their staff from mask-wearing. Some churches are exploding in numbers as they become known in their region as the “no mask church.” Frequent refrains I have heard from those who refuse to wear masks are that “Covid is not that dangerous,” “God will protect us,” and “we’re not going to live in fear.”
Whether or not Covid is “that dangerous” is a question that public health experts have been discussing for over a year. Most have agreed that it is both contagious and deadly or debilitating, and that we cannot always predict who will suffer most from an infection. However, it is also true that many people have contracted Covid and survived, in many cases with not lasting effects. It’s also good to remember that there are other important factors and some people may choose to risk their own health for other concerns (job security, relationships, etc.). In fact, we take these risks in many areas of life. It becomes a different concern when my behavior could affect the health of others, and we are being told that mask-wearing is more about protecting others than the mask-wearer.
Will God protect us? Maybe. I believe in the sovereignty of God over all things. I also believe God gave us minds to protect ourselves. I wear a seatbelt and put my kids in car seats even when I live somewhere that does not require it. I drive carefully to protect myself and others, and not only because it’s the law. I don’t see how that shows a lack of trust in God.
It’s good that Christians not live in fear. After Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers seemed to be in hiding, praying, and wondering what might happen next. I would even say they were living in fear (Acts 1). When the Holy Spirit came upon them in Acts 2, they were filled with boldness and continued in that boldness for quite some time. Faith and the Spirit drove out their fear. This is the ideal set before us.
Therefore, it is very commendable that Christians not live in fear. The problem is that most of us as American Christians are afraid of all kinds of things. We may not be afraid of a virus, but we have plenty of other fears. Depending on our political leanings, we may have an irrational fear of guns, even when used safely by responsible people, or an irrational fear of people speaking in other language. Sadly, the Christians who are most insistent that they won’t wear masks because they won’t “live in fear” demonstrate a good deal of fear toward refugees, for example.
I had an interesting experience regarding fear a number of years ago. My wife and I were preparing to move to the Middle East. We had researched our destination, and it was relatively safe, in spite of perceptions. Violent crime rates are lower than in much of America, and we would receive safety training. At the same time, we knew the jobs we were sent to do were worth taking some risk. A few weeks before our departure, we bumped into a high school classmate of my wife. Upon hearing our plans, she stated, “I’m not sure you guys should be going there. It doesn’t sound safe.” We reassured her that we felt it was quite safe and that we trust God with our safety. Later, upon sharing this with my in-laws, they responded, “We heard she was working with the police, working undercover downtown to break up prostitution rings.” Well, that sounds safe! People feel fear about many different things and tend to fear most what they don’t know.
Jesus talks about fear in Luke 12. He said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” It’s perfectly acceptable to feel fear. But we should have wisdom to discern what to fear and what not to fear. What are the real threats to us as Christians?
I believe it’s important to look at fear through a risk vs. benefit analysis. Jesus said later in Luke 14, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
For me, the cost of wearing a mask at church or the grocery store is very little. At first, the biggest struggle for me was to remember to bring one with me, but now I’m used to it and it is really no big deal. Really. No. Big. Deal. There is very little cost, but if it can help, along with other measures, to keep the people around me healthy, or even alive, it’s a pretty good benefit. In fact, in the future, even if I have some cold symptoms and go out in public, I might just wear a mask like so many people in Asia have been doing for years. Meanwhile, the risk of not wearing a mask is high. If I actually am sick and don’t realize it, I could be spreading a disease to others that could seriously harm them. I don’t want to live with that.
Let’s look at another area which many of the same people who are against mask-wearing because they don’t want to “live in fear” are also vocal about: refugee acceptance. Many of these folks have expressed fears that refugees will come to America and commit acts of terrorism. But, does this fear withstand an objective look at the facts? The Cato Institute studied this issue in 2016, and found that since 1980, no American has died in a terrorist attack committed by refugees. Three were killed in the 70s, who were political enemies of the murderers, before we had the vetting system we have now. Four Americans have also been killed by asylum seekers (three in the Boston Marathon bombing). Putting all the statistics together, the odds of an American in any given year being killed in a foreign-born terrorist attack on US soil are 1 in 3.6 million. The odds that this attack would be carried out by a refugee (even including those in the 70s) are 1 in 3.6 billion. You’d be better off banning swimming pools or ladders.
But is there any benefit to welcoming refugees? In reference to proposed bans on immigration, the Cato Institute says that it would cost the US $229 billion annually and, “The costs of an immigration moratorium vastly exceed the benefits, even with very generous assumptions buttressing the pro-moratorium position.” That does not even consider the spiritual cost. What is the spiritual cost of closing our borders during the greatest refugee crisis we have seen in our lifetimes?
It’s a very good thing to trust God and decide not to live in fear. But please consider what are real threats and what are sensible measures to decrease risks. I believe Christians should show courage, but they should show it not in trying to look tough by not wearing a mask, but by taking risks that will help people. Why don’t we show our courage through actions that will really make a difference? There are organizations eager to help American Christians overcome fear and hardship and plant churches in tough places like Turkey, Somalia or Cambodia. The foster system is always eager for more Christian families to take in foster children. Many impoverished neighborhoods need people to come and teach their kids, work as social workers or start businesses that will provide good jobs. All of these activities carry a risk. But accepting that risk and living courageously will make a real difference, much more than a symbolic gesture of courage.
HIS WORDS, HIS WORKS, HIS WAYS 
I watched a movie that demonstrated how easy people are brainwashed, sometimes, right before your eyes. In the movie, the main character, an excellent reporter with influence, was in a room with the soon to be world leader, among other influential people. One man stood against this leader, so in front of everyone, he shot the dissenter. The main character was shocked. The leader then explained that he was defending himself, as the other guy, the one he shot, was attempting to kill him. Nothing like that happened. Yet, when the reporter asked what others saw, they all repeated the “leaders” words, that the dead man attempted to kill and the “leader” had no choice. ** Of course, I thought to myself then that that could never happen. You know what? It happens all the time, more than people could ever realize. Since then, I have seen such things in my life, as at work. I’m amazed how people will change their belief systems depending upon what pressures are brought to bear. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a certain person walking into the room. For others, a friend has total control over the beliefs of another friend. Well, we’ve seen it with this virus from China, believing the propaganda and rhetoric. **You see, many people cannot think for themselves. They “need” other people to do their thinking for them, then they go along spouting what they’re being told to believe. That’s why some people have psychologists but can never leave them. Why some people remain in toxic relationships. Why some people can be made to believe things even when real evidence exists counter. They’re afraid to not be on the “in crowd”, to stand apart, to think for themselves, and to be outed in society. But what’s the alternative?
LikeLike