It’s Friday and the end of another work week under the CoronaCareᵀᴹ crackdown. I’m getting the sense that we’re beginning to reach critical mass with the number of people frustrated over continued restrictions. It’s manifesting itself in open defiance as some businesses reopen without authorization, as police departments refuse to enforce unconstitutional restrictions, as friends and patrons watch small businesses they have loved shut down permanently, and as government imposes unreasonable timelines and guidance for getting back to “normal”—whatever that may look like in the coming months.
The church is essential
My pastor declared on Wednesday that our church is “essential” in a video message to the congregation, despite some political leaders calling the church “non-essential.” As a purely political matter, nobody in government gets to declare the church “non-essential.” We need to keep sticking the First Amendment in their faces to remind them that,
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
If Congress cannot make a law circumscribing the development or practice of a religion, can a solitary state politician declare a church “non-essential” and thereby stifle its activity just because he holds executive power?
As I said Wednesday, governors have power to declare a state of emergency, and requiring congregations to temporarily forgo meeting in person is a reasonable request that churches can follow as a cooperating member of the local community. But when a member of civic government begins defining what the church is or isn’t, or how it will or will not be allowed to practice the faith, and then uses those definitions to restrict the life of the church—they are violating the U.S. Constitution.
“It is to secure our rights that we resort to government at all.“
Thomas Jefferson to Francois D’Ivernois, 1795
Remember, the government does not give us our rights; it only secures the rights we already have—to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—against threats, foreign and domestic.
The government does not set the church’s priorities
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker modified his stay-at-home orders by adding “exercise of religion” as an essential activity, but limited any in-person gatherings to ten people or less. But he’s clearly not comfortable with allowing churches to meet.
“This is … temporary and people need to understand that — especially faith leaders — that keeping your parishioners safe is the most important thing that you can do. Your leadership matters here, and we’re not stopping you from praying, we’re not stopping you from connecting with your parishioners, what we are trying to stop is the spread of this invisible killer.”
As governor, he’s focused on protecting all residents in Illinois from the virus and believes what he says is completely reasonable. But he crosses the line between civilian authority and church authority when he says, “keeping your parishioners safe is the most important thing you can do.”
Jesus never said that the church’s priority is “to keep your parishioners safe.” Going to the cross wasn’t “safe.” Standing up to the first century religious authorities wasn’t “safe.” Spreading the gospel wasn’t “safe.” Nearly every one of the apostles except for John was martyred for their beliefs. Definitely not safe.
During the height of Cyprian’s Plague in Rome (250-280 AD), the epidemic killed 5,000 people a day. But Christians didn’t flee; instead, they ministered to the sick and dying. Listen to Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria describe their activity:
Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending their every need and ministering to them in Christ – and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. . . . Death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom.”
Have we become so inured to this kind of sacrificial love that it sounds foreign? But both Jesus and Paul summarized the entire law in the one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14).
That’s the most important thing we can do. While we can take precautions, we must never put our personal safety above our corporate calling as the church. Not even if the governor says so.