Perspective:
Christians have been persecuted since the time of Christ. In many countries today, it is still extremely dangerous to attend church and to be a Christian. Christians are bombed, dismembered, raped, crucified, and shot, but they gather for worship anyway, accepting the risk and God’s will in their lives. They are willing to die (a real and probable threat) for their faith.
Here we are in the West Christians and are afraid to gather for worship because of a small chance we might catch a virus and and even smaller chance we might die from it. Many Christians who are wanting to go to church during this time, are being called foolish by other Christians for their faith and need to commune with God. Lord have mercy. Let us be fools for Christ.
“Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
Luke 17:33
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:28, 39
“for God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7
“For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my consternation, “Men are all a vain hope.” What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, I am thy servant; I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!”
Psalms 116:8-19
Cancelling liturgies and masses during Lent is terrible. The thought that I might not be able to have my baby churched or baptized was literally one of the most stressful thoughts in my life. The thought that it could be a possibility that Christians go without the Eucharist because no church will have liturgies is outrageous.
Church, where is your faith? How can Christians be withheld the sacraments? They are life giving and the sustenance of our very lives and souls.
I know that humans are inclined to be afraid of death (please note: I do not believe that this “threat” is an more a threat than any other URI), but should God choose to take His faithful though the faithful attendance of church, let us count that a blessing and even perhaps our own kind of Martyrdom.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Psalms 116:15
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.”
John 10:11-13
Stop being afraid of one another. Love one another, hug one another, clothe one another, feed one another. Life is short and you never know when it will be a person’s last day. People die everyday and die from things not related to this cause of mass hysteria.
Also, to those hoarding food, paper goods, water, etc. consider the fact that your fear is keeping people with REAL need from having basic needs met. This is indeed sinful and and ugly selfishness that is hateful towards other human beings.
“Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:12-13
With all this stated, this post has nothing to do with immunodeficient lay-people staying home.
Posted originally with lots of typos on Instagram.
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