Christians and masks

On Monday, the Cape Girardeau County Health Department issued an order for us to wear masks. For some, there was relief and a sense that making everyone wear masks was long overdue. For others, another piece of our individual liberty being stripped away. This is another silly move like telling us which way to walk down store isles. Some people like rules and some do not. For the Christian, we have a set of principles that guide our behavior in all circumstances.

In 1 Peter 2:13--14 we read, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good." In other words, we are supposed to follow the rules if doing so does not cause us to sin against God. Whether we believe masks make us safe or not, it is not a sin to wear a mask.

I was disappointed that the order included threats of fines or arrests, and even included a way to report people for not following the order. As a pastor who closed his church for the health and safety of our members and the community without such threats, I found this to be excessive. As I looked further into the order and communicated with the Health Department, I found the guidelines to be manageable. Those who speak or sing onstage may remove their masks. Family groups, once seated and social distanced, may remove their masks.

When the authors wrote about obeying the government in the New Testament, Nero was ruling -- he was a ruthless dictator. To think that Christians were willing to be law-abiding citizens when there was little justice speaks to our modern situation. If you consider yourself to be a Christian, follow Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing." We set an example that others can follow.

Have you considered that most of our grievances, in the United States, are First World issues? We have freedom, food, water, shelter and the ability to own property. Imagine how ungrateful we must look to people in Third World countries. Living in America is a fantasy for many of the world's people.

It is hard to believe that anyone would want to live in a city where the government does not enforce the laws. Without law and order, the most ruthless of gangs take control of the streets. Innocent people become prisoners in their own neighborhoods. The only ones who are safe are the rich and powerful politicians who hire personal security officers. On the other hand, where there is the rule of law, and people are abiding by the rules, life is safer and better. We need the right balance between legalism and lawlessness. We talk about that in theology.

In the Old Testament, people had the Ten Commandments. They offered sacrifices and followed a complex set of rules for the peace and safety of their society. Ultimately, they wanted to please God and find favor with him. In the New Testament, we read that God sent Jesus to be the savior of the world. He lived the perfect life that we could not live. Jesus never sinned -- this is an essential doctrine of Christianity. It is highly offensive to Christians to say otherwise about Jesus. When a person trusts in Jesus for salvation, God places Jesus' righteousness on the believer, and the believer makes a lifetime commitment to submit to the authority of God. The law is written in our hearts, so our new nature is law abiding.

Scripture teaches that the government is under God's sovereign control, so we obey the laws of our government. The only exception is in cases where the government tries to get us to sin against God's law. There is a line that Christians cannot cross and still claim to be a Christian, the mask order is not it.

I will joyfully wear a mask if it will enable us to go back to church, work, school and to vote in person.