“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” said writer and entrepreneur, Willam C. Taylor. “That is, just because you can, by virtue of your size or market power, extract more money from customers or partners, doesn’t mean you should, especially if doing so serves no purpose other than filling your coffers.” Taylor highlights a timeless principle of restraint as a badge of leadership.
This rule not only applies to the business world but also to the entity that’s responsible for operating a loftier enterprise that is to place a premium on people. That organization is the body of Christ, the church.
A Heart-Wrenching Anniversary
On the fourth anniversary of five dear fellow brothers’ passing, all succumbing to the coronavirus — each a husband and father — I look back with sadness and anger as they chose to defy common sense health guidelines. Aiding their reckless behavior were pastors who told them their devotion to Jesus was tethered to in-person church attendance at the height of the pandemic. Through contact tracing, they found out that they caught the virus from a carrier during an in-person service.
My heart broke as one family shared with me a FaceTime video one friend made to his daughter in his last moments — she and the others in his immediate family came down with COVID-19 through him and survived — begging her forgiveness.
While each man was responsible for his own actions, it’s difficult to avoid placing some blame at the feet of church leadership for goading them. A portion of ministers downplayed the severity of the pandemic, which took the lives of almost seven million people worldwide and over a million in the United States.
Acts According to the Facts
COVID-19 was a unique circumstance that required the church to act according to the current environment or better said “read the room.” It’s to understand or be sensitive to the mood or feelings of a group of people that one is addressing or engaging with. It’s a practice of which our Savior was indeed a Master. Whenever He gave a parable, He used familiar imagery for His listeners.
A familiar passage of scripture used to meet in person while the virus raged through communities was Hebrews 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.“
The Spirit is Mightier Than the Pen
It’s imperative not to neglect the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit or heart of the law (2 Corinthians 3:6 – New International Version). A perfect example of this juxtaposition is found in 1 Corinthians 7:28-30. Christians in Corinth endured severe persecution for their faith. As a precautionary measure, the Apostle Paul advised them to delay their good and healthy desire for marriage:
“But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions.“
Truly Living Through Real Giving
Selflessness is the hallmark of the Christian faith. Jesus says in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.“ The New Testament was written in the Greek language. The Greek word for “life” in this passage is psychēn, which means the soul as the seat of affections and will or plainly what’s important.
Gathering together to worship Jesus and fellowship is vital. That said, I think the church-at-large squandered a grand opportunity to put the gospel on display during COVID-19. The heart of the gospel is Jesus laying aside His own interests for the wellbeing of others.
And since we’re followers of Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-8 says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.“
I Can Only Imagine
I can only imagine the testimony we could’ve given of the love of Christ if they saw us laying aside our right to meet in person temporarily — without any coaxing from the government — to protect them during a viral pandemic.
I’m aware that some readers will disagree with some themes of this post, and it’s ok. That’s the beauty of having diverse perspectives. The bedrock of the church is the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-19). A period of physical absence during COVID-19 wouldn’t have torn down that indestructible foundation.
I love the church. I know what we’re capable of when we surrender to God and choose to reflect His sacrificial nature to the world. I ask that you pray for me that God would help me resolve some of the feelings I’ve been harboring, embrace the present, and strive to attain the great things coming individually and collectively in the future.
Sources:
Article: “Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should” by Bill Taylor, published December 6, 2011 – Harvard Business Review
Reference: “Number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths worldwide as of May 2, 2023, by country and territory” by Statista
Scripture reference links in the text are from the New Living Translation except where noted. They go to bible.com, courtesy of YouVersion, makers of the Bible App available for iOS and Android devices.
