I just read an article about a Florida church in Tampa that is currently refusing to follow the social distancing guidelines put forth by the President, CDC, state and local officials.
The pastor, Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, was arrested for unlawful assembly and violating public health emergency rules. Personally, I hope they throw the book at him.
Are Churches Essential?
Dr. Howard-Browne’s argument is that churches are not considered essential is against scripture. He also stated that his church was complying with cleaning and sanitizing the church area. He’s also posted his response to the orders on Facebook under a post entitled “The End of Days, Part Three”. He believes that churches are essential and I agree; however, it is not essential that churches gather together in person when they can meet online. Since his church already live streams their services, he must agree that this is a valid way to be the Church.
Hubris
This pastor’s hubris is getting in the way of common sense because he obviously does not understand the reason for the health rules; or he believes that he is above the rules; or that God will protect him and his flock in spite of them violating the health rules.
Just to be clear, I don’t like not being able to go to my church on Sunday. Do to even stricter rules that have been put in place where I live, I cannot even go to the church and live stream the service said by my priest. We have been completely shut down here so my priest has been live streaming morning prayer from her study at home on Sundays at 9 using the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. (Please join us if you want.)
Jesus and the Rules
This site is not about theology, but I would not be human if some of my own personal theology didn’t creep in from time to time, and this particular issue has irritated me because of the enormity of this man’s pride.
So what would Jesus do? Jesus was all about breaking the rules, right? Well, not always. Jesus questioned authorities about their underlying assumptions and understanding of the “way things were always done”. This is why he healed on the Sabbath. It doesn’t say in the Gospels, but what do you think Jesus did on the Sabbath when there was no one to be healed? I think he observed the Sabbath like a good Jew. The Sabbath is observed at home.
Jesus met everyone where they were. He always questioned their assumptions, but he never stopped being a good Jew. He overturned the money changers in the Temple because that is not what the Temple was about. Just read Exodus and Deuteronomy and Leviticus for how the early Temple operated. There are many things prescribed for the Temple, but money changers were not among them, so Jesus was justified in driving them out. He did this for his zeal and love for the Temple. This upset the Temple elders who took their cut of the money changers’ income.
The Temple was central to the worship of the Jews. They had to go to the Temple personally several times per year. But the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in the first century of the common era. So what did the Jews do? They adapted because they didn’t have their Temple any longer. The synagogues, which were created during the Babylonian captivity when they also did not have access to the Temple, became the focus of their weekly worship. But the Sabbath is still observed at home.
Why the Health Rules?
The Coronavirus pandemic is this generation’s “once in a lifetime” event. As I write this, there is no vaccine, but doctors and scientists around the world are working on it. Some don’t expect a vaccine until next summer (2021). The one thing that makes the COVID-19 virus so bad is that it has not shown up for us before so no one, not anywhere or anyhow, has immunity to it. This means that you can get it easily. Just like the common cold which is caused by over 100 viruses.
COVID-19 is particularly bad for the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions. This being said, the young and healthy are not immune either. They can either get sick or carry the virus to someone who is at greater risk for it. It is this last reason that is the foundation for all the health rules and societal shut down that we are currently experiencing.
Here’s another incessant reminder of the rules:
- Stay home unless you absolutely have to go out.
- Stay home if you are experiencing symptoms.
- Stay at least 6 feet apart.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. Throw out the tissue.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after you touch almost anything.
- If you can’t wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.
- Sanitize surfaces frequently as well.
I would also add DON’T HOARD. It is not necessary to hoard anything. The supply chain is just now catching up to replace the great toilet paper rush of March 2020. Trust it to keep you supplied.
These health rules will help keep you from catching or carrying the COVID-19 virus. You may feel as healthy as that crowd that went to the Tampa church does, but what about the other people with whom you will come into contact afterwards? Can you guarantee that you won’t pass the Coronavirus along to them? If you cannot guarantee this, you must observe the health rules.
The Tampa Pastor is Completely Wrong
Jesus would ask the pastor in Tampa why he was disregarding the rules. Is it because he believes that the church is not the church unless it meets together in person? Then why does he live stream his service? And how else can he minister to shut ins? Of course, you can be church without meeting in person. Jesus would make full use of all the technology to meet people. Churches are essential, but you don’t have to meet in person.
Jesus would ask the pastor if he was keeping his church open because he had faith that Jesus would keep the congregation
from contracting the virus? Jesus would respond with the story of the man who was drowning in the sea. The man prayed for deliverance. Then a boat came up and offered to rescue him. He replied that God would deliver him so the boat left. Then a helicopter flew overhead and offered to rescue him. He replied that God would deliver him so the helicopter flew off. Finally, the man drowned. In heaven, he sees God and asks him why he didn’t deliver him. God replied, “I sent a boat and a helicopter!”
God is sending us these rules for staying home and washing our hands through the Federal, state, and local authorities to slow the spread of this virus, not as a sign of the end times. The authorities are not persecuting this pastor. The pastor is just using this to garner publicity for himself. I believe that he has left himself open for future charges if anyone in his congregation, or the people they come in contact with, gets sick or dies from COVID-19.
Let’s use some common sense. Follow the rules. Do no harm. Jesus would.
