If five years ago I had predicted what was going to happen in the last three months, I would have been taken to a mental ward for evaluation. This has been a difficult time for many people. While I pray for things to return to normal, I also recognize that this pause has taught us some things. We’ve learned how much we need other people in our lives. We’ve learned how out of control the pace of our lives has been. We’ve reconnected with our children and spent time with them that we just didn’t have pre-pandemic. There are blessings.
Today, though, I’m mulling over something that I’ve been hearing over and over. I keep hearing people saying “It’s my right to not have to wear a mask.” And that got me thinking about our true rights and also about our personal responsibilities. As I think about our Constitutional rights, I can’t think of one that mentions a right not to wear a mask.
I would think as we consider basic human rights, that not wearing a mask wouldn’t be on the list either. Medical personnel would have a problem with that, as they are often required to wear masks to keep us safe. What we’re really saying is that we’re choosing not to wear masks.
Yes, they’re uncomfortable. Yes, they are warmer. Yes, you might be called a “sheeple.” But if the pandemic was turned around a little and we were told that wearing a mask would keep us from getting the disease, I think we’d see more people wearing masks. That makes me a little sad. We’re told that wearing masks keeps other people safe. What we choose to do affects others. What do we owe to those around us? What responsibility do we have for their well-being? As Christians, we see Jesus over and over caring for those that society has left behind. We should not only be wearing our masks to prevent spreading the virus, but we should be reaching out to those around us who are more at risk and seeing what we can do to help them out. I’ve seen some really beautiful acts of kindness going on, but we can do better.
And then, of course, you can’t avoid thinking about the protests for Black Lives Matter. What is our responsibility there (especially if we happen to be Caucasians)? This morning, I heard that someone came into my daughter’s yard last night and burned their Black Lives Matter sign. And I’m angry about that. But I’m also angry when I hear about people looting and destroying civic and personal properties in the name of Black Lives Matter. As I watched the video of a police officer kneeling on the neck of a then-helpless prisoner, I felt conflicted. I was heartbroken for the family and friends of George Floyd and the community that feels so powerless. But I also felt a little sense of relief knowing that there was a video shown in the public arena to which no one, no matter the color of their skin, could watch and not say “That is wrong!” and “We need to make sure that never happens again!” If we are ever to be true community, we need to have a sense of responsibility toward one another. We can do better.
The Holy Spirit is moving in our world. Change is happening. In all of it, we need to find ways to lift one another up and protect those who need protection. It makes us all stronger when we forge bonds between us.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Kelly Jahn is pastor of the Juda Zion and Oakley Union United Methodist Churches.
