Preface: This missive is written from my perspective as a Christian pastor and not as a member of any political organization. I am not a scholar of the constitution nor am I as concerned with my rights as I am about how to best serve my neighbor. I will most likely say things here that will upset folks from different political backgrounds.

Friends, we are living through very interesting times. We have been strongly encouraged to not engage in large group gatherings and, if we must, wearing a mask regardless of vaccination status. That hasn’t stopped folks from attending super spreader activities and then sharing the “good times” with their friends and neighbors. Maybe it is time to rethink getting that vaccine that so many feel obligated to fight against. Hear me out…

This vaccine is backed by a decade of research so we can’t say “they” pushed it through as a means to control “us.” And now we have advanced the emergency approval to full FDA approval and Moderna is getting close with that third dose we keep hearing about. So it is safe. Many of you have been told that but won’t accept it… for you I have prepared a more theological approach.

In many circles, Jesus is considered a great healer. And He is. He is however more concerned with healing the hearts of the people. God has provided us with physicians and researchers to help with the everyday business of living and dying. To not heed such help seems to throw all this knowledge and experience into the face of God.

Here’s a modern parable:

See now a man who lays on the side of the road — beaten, bruised and without a face mask. Several people were also on the road that day. The first two people passed right by in case whatever hurt the man, was catching. Perhaps, they offered their “thoughts and prayers” while they did nothing to actually help the suffering man. Oh and these were religious men — perhaps speakers from their local church or meeting house. They felt that if God wanted to heal the man, God would have already done so. They even preached to their congregations against helping others (again by today’s context, masks and vaccines). Finally, someone comes over to the man and helps him. He is an older man — a man we can assume has his own struggle — he doesn’t look like or sound like the man who is hurt. The man is wearing a mask — which seems funny because clearly he is better than the man laying on the ground. But our helper doesn’t know if he might be carrying an illness that would finish off the wounded man. He reaches into his robe and takes out a clean mask and places it on the man. Then he loads him up in his Prius and takes him to someplace for care. Of course he pays a little to cover food and housing and then continues to check up on him.

Jesus said, “Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself.” Our retelling of the parable tells us to what extent that love should be — not just lip service about a Sunday morning kind of love but the love that meets the physical needs as well.

We do not have a mandate for vaccines — we hate to have to be told what to do, don’t we? We say things like “It is my right to choose.” And it is — but if we choose NOT to vaccinate and mask then we are in essence making a choice for the vulnerable and that is not a godly choice. If your freedom to not mask or not vaccinate kills your neighbor — or even makes them suffer and leaves them in financial ruin, how then is that love?

Let me refer you to 1 Corinthians 10:23-24:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” ( 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NKJV)

In the Letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds us that this is all a matter of the heart:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3 ESV)

And in John 13:34 Jesus is very clear when He tells us:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV)

We, Christ followers, just do not have the option of harming one another.

Let’s say we get vaccinated, and the hospitals are full up with unvaccinated people. Many of these people will carry the effects of this plague for the rest of their lives — and for many of them, it won’t be a long life. Our hospitals and staff are stretched to capacity and are starting to make the hard choices of who gets what medication and which cases will get treated at all. What about these neighbors who refused to get vaccinated or wear a mask and still went to the rodeo or the concert? Do we put our hands on our hips, roll our eyes and say, “It’s their choice — they had options and they chose poorly,” or do we reread the modern parable above and embrace the idea that God loves ALL of us — regardless of skin color, religious denomination or vaccination status.

“Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’” (Jesus-Matthew 25:40 NCV)

To my pro-life sisters and brothers, I will add that by the time the patient gets to the door of the hospital, the discussion of why they chose not to use protection is long over and the time for compassion is on us.

I encourage all of you who are not vaccinated and/or do not mask, that while you have the freedom to do so, please search your heart and remember that you also have the freedom to choose to protect and thus “love your neighbor.” And if you ask, who then is my neighbor? Hear these words from the Teacher…

“He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Luke 10:37 NRSV)

You are loved, you are needed and you are enough.

Now go and do likewise.

Starr Reardon is the pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Pocatello.