May 1st is coming soon and the order has been given that we are to remain in our homes. Never have so many done so little in order to save the world. I have to say that it troubles me when I hear rumblings that orders will be given that we must wear masks in public, and those unwilling to do so will be prosecuted. It troubles me when men of good will can disagree on a course of action, but it is one man with power who decides what is best for all. I am not a doctor, scientist, or medical professional and don’t wish to be the cause of anyone’s death. Yet, I am a son of liberty. There are two extremes, and we are in danger of swinging to one or the other.
The first is liberty without conscience. I have the right to live as I determine is best for me and my family. I belong to a community that has a right to work and engage in commerce as it sees fit. But should our liberty be without conscience, then I am willing to see my neighbor die for my freedom. But conscience asks, “what am I willing to lose for the sake of my brother?”
The second is power for the sake of the common good. I am sure that there is great pressure on government officials to wage a war against a virus for the health of a country, a state, and a community. I am sure that they believe that the measures they have taken are for the welfare of all when in fact it is for the few who have the greatest risk. “The liberties that we lose are temporary,” they say, “and the freedoms that we will lose are for us all.” It is called the new normal where graduates have virtual commencements, weddings are celebrations of the few, and going to church may be a thing of the past. Thank God the government will take care of us!
Maybe we just need to scrub a little harder. From the benign to the ridiculous. “Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house and shut up the house seven days. And the priest shall come again on the seventh day, and look. If the disease has spread in the walls of the house, then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. And he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house.” Lev. 14:38-42. If only we could scrape COVID-19 off the walls.
Special days come and go, and if not for the kindness of brothers and sisters in Christ we could shrivel up and die alone in our homes. There is a day coming, however, where the walls of our homes will be burnished like gold. Where the streets welcome you to walk outside, and the cool breeze smells sweet with a hint of the honeysuckle. The sun shines down warm and your neighbor isn’t afraid to greet you with a hug, and children fear not to wrestle again. The only cough you will hear comes from behind as a long lost friend begs your attention. He smiles and sticks out his hand but you draw him in with a warm embrace and a kiss. No one stares and gasps with the audacity of it all. In fact they join the revelry.
For now I will stare at the flicker on the screen and greet those I love from afar. But the next time we meet, if ever so discreet, watch out I might draw you in for a hug. I’m just saying.
Still at Home! From the Bunker Day 45
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