The Church during the days of Corona Virus: Patience with disagreements about the Virus

Our “This Sunday” series will be another a Corona Virus edition.  For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Patience with disagreements about the Virus.

This verse is still true even with the virus situation: “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace“ (Ephesians 4:1-3).  Note the word patience in verse 2.  Note also verse 2 states “showing tolerance for one another in love.”  

Not easy.  But let’s try our best to follow this.

There will be various spectrum of views. Yes your view might be right.  Or others are right and we are wrong.  But realize we’re in a hard situation.  We can disagree with political policies and solutions.  But still we must treat our brothers as brothers and sisters as sisters in the faith.  Also displaying patience makes you more winsome of others to your view.

What might help you to be more patient and tolerant of fellow church members is to think about how your own view might have changed the last few months with this virus.  I know I have seen experts change their view; no doubt those who are non-experts might do so too.  Also even if your view is still overall the same remember others might have a real legitimate concern even if they aren’t fully right in their view of a solution.  Something can be said about recognizing a brother or a sister’s concern be it the economy, their health or of a loved one, their fear of government overreach or their fear the government hasn’t done a good job, etc.

Or even better to help you be patient and tolerant with other church members’ view: Search yourself and ask God to show To you any area you are inconsistent.  I’m going to step on some toes on this one:  Some might think the virus is no big deal, it’s just merely another “cold” or “flu.”  But then they get angry with China suppressing the truth of what’s going on with the virus and think we should nuke them or go to war with them; believe it or not I had to talk to someone about this.  Not only is it inconsistent with the view that the virus is and is not a big deal, but this view is inconsistent with the view that lives should be saved on the one hand and on the other hand more lives should be killed.  I know I swiped on someone just more on the political right but here’s one concerning the inconsistency of something more “left” (for lack of better term): You might think people should practice social distancing but then in your own life you have a birthday party inviting many people.  My neighborhood has a lot of progressive types with “Biden” political signs and I’ve heard some wax loudly about masks and social distancing, etc and then you see the birthday parties and I have to think: Wow, that’s kind of hypocritical.  It turned out my neighborhood was on the news with how birthday parties was a mean of people getting more virus hospitalization.

Nothing I said above should be taken that there’s no right and wrong answer at all; surely its hard but there’s also obvious wrong answers.  Nor should anything I said about be taken to mean that you can’t share what you think.  That’s not what I’m going for.  Rather we can share our views but be ready to be patient with disagreements.

Also to help with dealing with disagreements, pray for God to guide you and also pray for those you disagree.  Don’t just pray that God would show them they are wrong; pray for their well being as well!