Loving their neighbors?

On Friday morning, Doug Wilson led members of Christ Church through (a local restaurant) to the back room for Bible study. They rudely ignored Mayor Bill Lambert’s mandatory mask order and the restaurant staff’s polite request that masks be worn. This behavior coupled with the very large gatherings of Christ Church members to worship close together and without masks causes us to wonder if they really understand the message in the Bibles they are studying.

Doug says that the Christ Church membership feels safe. He is missing the point. Jesus never says, “Follow me and I will make you safe.” Rather, the central message of the Gospels is “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34). Similarly, controlling the COVID-19 virus is not about us as individuals. Rather, it’s about the linkages within the community.

Currently, the only way we can minimize the spread of this contagious virus is to reduce our physical linkages with one another. Masks and social distancing are the only tools that we have. Christ Church has ensured that there are 1,000 folks in town who have an increased chance of carrying and spreading the virus among us. How does this behavior demonstrate love for neighbors?

Kim Campbell
Katherine Campbell
Moscow