The weather has been beautiful, the sun shining, the temperature mild. After a few busy months and some catching up on the projects I had bene postponing, I finally rolled the bike out of the garage for a ride. A meeting in Eugene gave the opportunity. The motorcycle can turn a long boring drive into an energizing treat.
Of course, riding a motorcycle is risky. Two wheels are less stable than four. Without roof, doors, seatbelts, and airbags the rider’s fragile body is exposed. A light machine with high horsepower makes acceleration instant and speed easy. No one can say riding a motorcycle is without risk. Then again, tens of thousands die in automobile accidents every year. Many more are seriously injured. Driving a car is never without risk, especially in a town where yellow means speed up and red means one more car gets to go. On roads where cell phones still attract the eye no driver, rider, cyclist, or even pedestrian is truly risk free. It is much safer to stay home. Maybe live life through a screen. Yet we know to live life, sometimes you have to bear some risks.
Sometimes people take unnecessary risks. People jump out of airplanes and off bridges or cliffs. Others hike deep into the wilderness with the wild animals and no stores to buy more supplies. Often, they are without cell service and hospitals are far away. A well-done steak has the same nutrition as one that is rare. Hard boiled eggs are less likely to have salmonella than sunny side up. It’s probably best not to think about the risk of that delicious greasy burrito from that run down taco stand. Yet people seek these risks on purpose.
We can’t really live without risk. We have tended to allow others to take risks they want. Other risks societies might endure because we value what may be gained. Explorers risked life and livelihood for crown and country to find new lands, vast resources, and avenues of trade. Wars have sent tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands to their death to win liberty, to free slaves, to stop the growing evil of the world, and to fight terror where it grows. Men work dangerous jobs to provide for their families and supply their nation. Women risk their lives (less today than 100 years ago) and their bodies to bring new life into the world. When the goal is great or noble and we see the value, we take the risk.
Of course, we can also do what we can to lessen risks. I wear every piece of gear I can when I swing my leg over the bike. Helmet, gloves, boots, armored jacket, and tough pants, even fluorescent yellow so I can be seen and special earplugs to protect my hearing are all part of my every ride. Sometimes I might miss the wind in my hair. It would be more convenient to just hop on in shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes, but road rash and a cracked skull are too big a risk to take. Even when we decide risks are worth it, we do what we can to reduce it.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we didn’t even know the risk. We heard stories from China. We saw the full hospitals in Italy. We lacked the PPE. We didn’t have any treatments. We didn’t know for certain how it spread. Faced with what seemed like it could have been infinite risks, we took and accepted drastic measures. As we learned more and gained experience through the months, we adjusted, hoping to keep some of what we valued while still limiting the risks. Business, homes, and churches, reduced their capacity. We began social distancing. We covered our faces. Much of life wasn’t the same, but we did what we could to reduce the risk.
As Christians we know our times are in God’s hands (Ps. 31), so while we do not put the Lord our God to the test (Mt 4), neither do we cower in fear (Ps 91). We also know that no one EVER escapes death. With only one exception, death is undefeated. “Man is destined to die once and then face judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We also have the promise of the risen Savior Jesus, “whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26). We both cherish every moment, our time of grace, which God gives us to live on earth, “For me to live is Christ,” but we also look forward to the angels taking us to Abraham’s side (Lk 16), “to die is gain” (Phlp. 1:21).
Our freedom from fear of sickness and death is only part of the Christians evaluation of pandemic risk. We also know that God has called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Even though we may have no fear, neither will we put our neighbor at unnecessary risk. We have worn our masks, stayed home from events, distanced ourselves, limited our attendance, so that we might not get others sick, and so that we might not get sick ourselves and contribute to community spread.
To truly evaluate risk though, we need the other half the the equation, what do we gain for the risk and what do we lose if we forgo. To avoid risk during the pandemic, some have lost their life’s work, others their livelihoods. Children have lost schooling and a year of development and time with friends and fun and play. To avoid risk, the sick have suffered alone and families have missed already scarce time with the people they love. To avoid risk we have forgone much human interaction we both need and crave. No smiles from strangers, no hugs from a friend, no long conversations with a neighbor or acquaintance, no events for the community to come together. It will take years to know the fullness of all we have lost.
At first it seemed like our church’s sacrifice out of love for each other and our neighbor wasn’t so grave. “The Word of God is living and active” (Heb 4:11) and “My word which goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire” (Is 55:10). Live streams, video chats, and recorded messages mean no one had to lose access o the Word of God. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, was still at work among us. We could gather in small groups, stay distanced, and still receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord’s promise to be with those who gather together in his name (Mt 18) means that Jesus gathers with us no matter how small the group. Singing might not be as joyful and exuberant with a mask on but the words still resound in our hearts and God is still praised.
However, our worship is more than hearing and receiving the meal of the Lord’s body and blood individually. We are the body of Christ, the family of believers. Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, and all the more as the day approaches” (Heb 10:25). It is precisely in dark and difficult times that Christians are told to be together. God knows we need this. “Let us also consider carefully how to spur one another on to love and good works” (Heb 10:24). The Lord’s Supper is the body of Christ and the life-giving blood of the Lord no matter how many are kneeling at the Lord’s table, but “because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17). Our participation, communion, at the table of the Lord feeds our soul and strengthens our communion with each other. Something is lost in social distance. We, who are brothers and sisters in Christ are made to be together to carry each other’s burdens with love and build one another up. Paul says “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (2 Cor 13:12). For us a firm handshake, a hug, sitting together, and sharing a cup of coffee together has meaning for us. I don’t believe masks are evil, dangerous, a conspiracy, or a symbol, but they do separate us from one another. They do contribute to an overall atmosphere and attitude of fear. They ma be a small sacrifice, a worthy sacrifice, but they do interrupt our normal interactions and communications, both verbal and nonverbal. At a time when the risk of sickness was high, we were willing do all this out lof love for our neighbors and good stewardship of the lives God has given us.
Is it time to reevaluate our risk? I think so. As of Monday, all people over 16 can receive the vaccine. They are readily available and easy to get. Since before Easter, many, a majority of our congregation has been fully vaccinated, others are now partly vaccinated. From all the numbers, the vaccines are highly effective. The sun is out bolstering our systems with vitamin D. Treatments have been developed to treat the disease. Hospitals are not overflowing with Covid patients. The risk to each other has lowered. The risk from us to the community is lower. Can I still force anyone to forgo that which the Lord has established for our blessing?
As of this Sunday, we at Beautiful Savior will no longer say anything about restrictions and mandates. If you still feel more comfortable in a mask and with some distance, we will respect you. I will wear my mask for anyone who would like me to. Though I have researched the vaccines and will get the second shot soon (I think it is safe and effective), I will not tell others what they should do with their health. If you want to have a Biblical discussion on vaccines, I am ready to listen and share my thoughts. I won’t, however, ask for your status, nor should you feel obligated to announce it. The pews will stay farther apart in the sanctuary; however, seats will no longer be assigned. Sit wherever you wish. If you are comfortable, we will invite more than one family to come forward to the Lord’s table. I will still hand each individual the elements. If you do not wish to be so close at the rail, you and your family may still receive the Lord’s Supper separately, just tell the usher. We will, of course, continue to livestream and post our weekly sermons on Monday or Tuesday.
If you have a different evaluation of risk for yourself and your family, you may share your concerns privately with me. We will do all we can to support and serve you. If you have concerns about what the government has mandated, I understand. Note that the capacity limits for churches are called “recommendations”. More importantly, the government does not have the authority to tell us what we may or may not, must or must not do as part of our life of faith. For all the reasons I have stated above, I think it is important to balance the risk of sickness with our trust in God and all the blessings he intends for us when we gather together around his Word and Sacraments. As always, I am more than happy to discuss any of this in the light of God’s Word. Please continue to pray for each other, our neighbors, our community, and all those in authority. In God’s Grace, Pastor Luke Tembreull