There is much to be said about what we as Christians and a nation are going through. One thing that is clear, we should be together as one people and for the protection of all people. We are seeing the great Commandment becoming the norm in society. Jesus was “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-39)
I was out getting some essentials for the “staycation” for the next couple of weeks, it was somewhat of a shock to see shelves bare of the essentials. There was no toilet paper and a sign stating they are experiencing high demand and hope to have more in stock soon. For one surreal moment, it seemed odd to not have to ponder over which brand to choose and who’s actually is the softest. I thought of our missionary friends in “K-stan” and on their first furlough home, brought some toilet paper from the mission field so we could see what they lived with daily. It was more of the texture of crepe paper, you know, the kind we hang up for decorations on birthdays. There I stood, looking at empty shelves wishing there was at least one package left of any kind of toilet paper. Some have calculated the usage of this highly sought after commodity and it has been determined that hoarding has occurred as it would take a long time to go through the amount of toilet paper secured by some folks. In a moment of panic, we all tend to overbuy or purchase items we don’t need. Pause for a moment and think about the Commandment. Are we loving God in our response? Are we loving our neighbor in our response?
As the Matthew text echoes in my mind, as Christians, we have the opportunity to live out these words and impact our community during this time of need. Two observations I made. First, we should be looking at the needs of others as well as our own. My mother-in-law went into town to get some supplies and found four 12 packs of toilet paper on the shelf. She took only one pack. When asked why she didn’t take all of them, she said she only took what she needed.
Others would need some as well.
My suggestion, buy two and give the other to someone who needs it. How many times have we overlooked our neighbor’s needs when we had the opportunity to share the abundance we have. I even wonder if we know all the neighbors on our block? Who lives there? Who is elderly and needs attention? Why not make a list and make sure they are taken care of during this time?
Shouldn’t our response as Christians be to “love your neighbor as yourself”?
As I was getting some essentials and I saw some hoarding, some needing and some just not heeding. They just didn’t seem to care and as we (Linda and I) have talked,
it is about giving up to help others.
If you need to shop, practice loving your neighbor as you pick up the essentials. Take what you need (actually need) and leave some on the shelf. Bless your neighbor, the person coming up the shopping aisle behind you. Don’t go out unless necessary (I mean necessary). I encourage you to keep up with the social distancing and in doing so we all can participate in keeping the virus in check and lessen the impact on our daily lives and the lives of others. Now would be the time to write a letter, text your friends, take the time for that extended phone call to relatives and friends. I would bet to say, we will find the voices of the world kept us from reaching out before this “corona” time, were not that important to not have called before this all came upon us. Family and friends are important, now more so than ever, when we are isolated from others.
I admit there are times that I am down and frustrated with the situation we all are enduring, but even then, I am reminded, God is in control and even though there is death and illness around the world.
We can still love God for His mercy and grace and show the same love to our neighbor. With the fears of the Covid-19 virus and the news of the pandemic, let us all practice the social distancing and washing of our hands, but let us all add a step. Check up on the elderly friends you have. Use our social media outlets to call, text, video chat and stay connected. Continue to support your local church as best as you can. Let us all pray for our neighborhoods, city, state, country, the world and share the love of Jesus. And when this crisis is all over, how about we continue to do these grace-filled things.
In His Grace, Pastor Doug