What would Jesus do right now? He would wear a face mask.
It’s come to our attention that masks have not been taken seriously, and, furthermore, there is an uneasy attitude towards wearing masks. (On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear issued a mandatory mask regulation.)
Before you read on, a lot of the following may not seem applicable to you unless you are a Christian, but hopefully you will continue to read. The intent in this case is not to throw around figures and facts and statistics, but to pose several questions a Christian should ask themselves before they walk out the door each day during this pandemic.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
Would Jesus wear a mask if He were walking as a person among us today? We fully believe He would. Jesus would wear a mask because wearing a mask is an act of love. God sees how you wear a mask to protect not only your family, but other families too. God sees how you feel the hot sticky condensation on your face and endure it so that others may survive this pandemic.
Jesus had compassion and empathy. Compassion means that we feel sympathy for others, and empathy causes us to understand what we can do to heal our culture. Jesus said, “’Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”(Matthew 25:40).
When you wear a mask, you are protecting not only the elderly, but children, immuno-compromised people, those with serious preexisting conditions, and you are looking out for the “least of these.” You aren’t just “talking the talk” of Christian love; you are expressing it in a real way and loving your neighbor as Jesus commanded.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
You cannot see the germs floating through the air, and you cannot see the effects of your actions, but, nonetheless, they are there. Being a Christian throughout history has meant enduring hard times. It has meant hiding, living through persecution, and spreading the good news to keep the message alive. Being a Christian means loving your neighbors unconditionally. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is and literally cover it up with a piece of cloth. There is a monumental amount of love and a statement of faith in a tiny piece of cloth.
The most frequently used argument against face masks has been that it might not make enough of a difference. Are you willing to bet someone’s life on that? Your own? As Christians, if there is any possible way to slow the spread and protect others, we should take it. A mask is a temporary inconvenience that could possibly save countless lives in the long run, and that is love. What if wearing a mask is the least you can do to save lives? If you knowingly spread the virus and killed someone by not wearing a mask, would you regret it? These are real questions one should ask themselves in the time of COVID-19. This is not a drill. Your actions will directly impact people’s lives. Will you show love?
This letter was also signed by Pastor Darcy Owens, Clear Creek Evangelical Free Church; Pastor Jarrod Hunt, Square Peg Ministries; Pastor/Chaplain Larry Penix, Salem United Methodists Church; Chaplain Rob Musick, University of Pikeville; Pastor Jason Johnson, Prestonsburg Church of God; Pastor Scot Robinson, First Presbyterian Church of Pikeville; Chaplain Randy Johnson, Pikeville Medical Center; Ariana Velasquez & Alarah Gillum, University of Louisville; Emily Keaton, University of Kentucky.