What would Jesus do?

            Lately I have been asking myself this question every so often: What would Jesus do in the midst of a pandemic?  It seems that Christians around the world have come up with a wide range of answers to this question.

            Some churches closed their doors before they “had” to – out of an abundance of caution.  Others, like the River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida, packed hundreds of people in for a service in spite of public health orders for people to stay at home and avoid large gatherings.  And then there is the prayer meeting that was held at somebody’s house in Calgary that has been linked to at least 34 cases of Covid-19.

            People could probably be forgiven for thinking that Jesus was a risk-taker.  After all, he crossed all sorts of social boundaries that the religious leaders disapproved of.  He touched lepers even though they were considered to be “unclean.”  He spoke to women in public even though that wasn’t the “done” thing.  He even touched corpses, which were also considered to be unclean.

            However, the thing about Jesus (which is different from you and me) is that when he touched a dead body or somebody with leprosy, he did not become contaminated or infected or unclean.  Instead, the healing power of God was so strong in him that he transferred healing and life to the other person.  And so, more than likely, if Jesus had close contact with somebody who had a communicable disease, Jesus would heal that person rather than catching the disease himself.  Unfortunately, it does not follow that Christians can do whatever they want and be immune to catching anything. 

             While it is true that God has the power to heal, God has also given people the ability to learn how viruses work, as well as how they spread.  I find it hard to believe that Jesus would instruct his followers to throw caution to the wind and act in such a way that the most vulnerable are put at risk – which makes something like Covid-19 really hard to navigate.

            For example, all of those ministries that care for the homeless and provide food for those in need have had to make decisions about how to continue to minister to those in need, while also preventing the spread of the virus.  Some places have had to close.  Others have changed how they hand out food to people.  It is a real balancing act to continue to think of the needs of others while also trying to protect all those with whom we come into contact.

            In the end, we each need to make our own decisions.  However, when we really listen to what Jesus identified as being most important, we might ask ourselves, “What shows love?”  What shows whole-hearted love for God?  What shows love for others and for ourselves?  How do we love our neighbours as ourselves in the midst of Covid-19?

            Thank you all for the ministry in which you continue to engage and for your openness in finding new ways to connect with one another.  Thank you for your prayers and support and for looking out for one another.  Meanwhile, peace and good health to you all!

            In Christ,

            Pastor Lynne Hutchison