Vaccine and Masks - the responses

IF YOU HAVE AN OVERWHELMING FEAR

of criticism or outright rejection, I tell young men and woman to choose a vocation other than being a pastor or a writer. Believing God is the one who chose both these paths for me makes it easier somehow, though I’m not sure why.

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I enjoy hearing from my readers each week and thank you for including me in your lives. You have many choices and little discretionary time which makes you reading and thinking with me a great honor. Some of you even make the effort to share Perspective with friends. Thank you for that.

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On occasion I offer blog feedback when I think it might be helpful. This is one of those occasions. I wrote about “Vaccines and Masks” last week. If you haven’t read it as yet, let me encourage you to do so now, for it will make what follows much more meaningful.

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These are not all the responses I received, but they are representative. Some just say, thank you. Others go into much more detail. Some agree with what I wrote. Some disagree. No one said bad words. No one called me names. No one responded in anger. Everyone was polite. Reading your responses was for me like sitting at the family table and actually talking about something important with family members who disagree, but without being disagreeable, are willing to listen well and learn from one another. I hope that’s your family table.

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So I invite you to sit at my family-of-readers table and check out the responses I’ve included. Listen well. Don’t write off the person you instinctively think is in la la land. Hear their heart first. Opinions can be good. Being opinionated, not so much. Who knows, the person you disagree with may be sitting next to you in church on Sunday, or taking care of your children this week while you work, or serving you at your favorite restaurant or grocery store. Or at the hospital. We are all interconnected.

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One pastor in his response said it well. We are “Still friends—always.”

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Really great blog summarizing all the views on our Christian response to Covid. Excellent and important. I hope you’ve received good feedback!

????????—Pastor Gary G, California

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Thanks for your courage to speak out.?Your position finds resonance in my soul.

????????—Pastor Dave S, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Hi Richard. Thanks for passing on Ward’s blog.?Yes, we are all fed-up to the back teeth with vaccines and particularly masks.?But Ward has so succinctly mounted the best and most positive argument to embrace them for the benefit of all that I have read.?And his Christian perspective is spot on. His “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” rationale is inspired genius. Thank you Richard.?Thank you Ward.

????????—Pastor Derek K, Queensland, Australia

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Ward, as always I respect your opinion. You made a lot of good points. However, you may have had one of your facts wrong.?On Friday of last week, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said?that the Pfizer vaccine that the FDA has approved is not available in America yet. So, the “brand” we’re using is still under the experimental use standard. It may be a small thing, and it may not change your mind, but a lot of people are strongly opposed to that “experimental” standard. I know that I am.

????????I’m glad you’re healthy too. So far, I have not gotten COVID, and I can’t understand why. I have been in multiple situations around people who could have had COVID. Just last Saturday morning, a friend of my sat two chairs away from me, and he had COVID. He also should have known better to come with such a bad “cold.” I stayed away from him on purpose!

????????Worse yet, we’ve got teenagers in our youth group who are going to school and youth group KNOWING that they have COVID. Their argument is that teenagers don’t that sick, so who’s worried. I think that’s dead wrong!

????????I have read about our current brand from Pfizer in other places, and I find it hard to believe that Senator Johnson would knowingly give false information on national TV.?I fear that there are a lot of things the "experts" are not telling us because they believe the odds are so much in favor of people getting the shot. I don't deny the odds. What I question is the after-effects of the shot.?

????????The opponents of the "vaccine" are not questioning the immediate danger of getting the vaccine. Many are questioning what will happen when new?viruses come along--not just variants. They are saying that the vaccine "tricks" the body to attack the new virus in a way that is far too great. That's not a very good explanation, but you get the idea. They say that far too often when a second virus was introduced in animal studies that all the animals died.?

????????Since I'm fairly certain that I won't die from COVID, and a truly tiny number of people actually die, I think the odds are in my favor. If I die from COVID, I still win. That may seem jaundiced, but I just don't fear the virus. I'm not sure that many of those who have died did so from COVID. They might have died with COVID, but not from COVID. Most of the deaths took place in older people with comorbidities. I'm in that category, but I still don't fear COVID. I've been careful about washing my hands, etc., but I've been around a lot of people in a lot of situations, without a mask, and I still haven't gotten the disease.??

????????Don't you find it interesting that the scientists admitted that they were magnifying the tests too much, and then they reduced the magnification—and walla, the number of cases went down. Oh well.?

????????Still friends—always?

????????—Pastor David J, Minooka, Illinois ???????

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Thank you for your most recent post regarding COVID. It was thoughtful, provoking us to love and helpful. Thank you for not letting your voice go silent and fade away. Your decades of experience are needed by me and many others. Keep writing. Blessings on you, Ward.

????????—Dr. Don R, Washington State

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Thank you, Ward. Going “on the record” took courage, and I applaud you for doing so! For the record: you and I find ourselves on the same side of this particular fence. That is: personally grateful for the vaccines that have been made available, while opposed to a blanket mandate.

????????I absolutely hate the times we find ourselves. There is so much rancor in the air about complex and controversial issues. I find myself cautious about speaking for fear of alienating others, some of whom I love—including some in my immediate family. You won’t be surprised to hear that I sometimes do chose to speak. In such moments, I try to be gentle and to stand ready to truly listen to ideas I disagree with. Argh…what a stressful way to live!

????????Well done, you—more because you did speak than for what you said. You are a fine man, and I am glad to be able to call you my friend.

????????—Bev B, Albany, Oregon

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I agree that we need to be gracious and respectful, and helpful to those who live in fear.?But you're being too magnanimous. This situation is a fiasco and we're not being helpful when we imbibe on the Kool-Aide, even if we're only taking small sips.?Why did you bother to send this out??Frankly, this wasn't helpful.

????????Ward, don’t get me wrong.?We do need to address the "grace" issue and especially the fear, but we now have at least six distinct, major issues in play.?One is medical, second the power grab and loss of liberty, third the economic effects, fourth the increase in crime by masked people who remain anonymous?even in our surveillance age, fifth the psychological?and social effects of mask wearing, especially among children (this is a big one), and sixth, the persecution of people who refuse to wear a?mask—this and the vaccine are being used to create division, including major rifts in our churches, along with parishioners who are avoiding or simply not attending church.?This is a far?more malevolent?problem than something that can be fixed by applying more "grace."?

????????My point: This is no longer one issue.?To treat it as such—that is what I found to be unhelpful about your?message.?Each of these need to be addressed specifically; the issue can no longer be bundled together.?Your?email was unhelpful because it failed to address these different?problems which require different?responses.?Perhaps your message would have been okay a?year ago,?but it?misses the mark in?regard to our current?situation.

????????Sig S, Texas

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Many thanks for this very thoughtful piece. Helpful and humbly communicated. I hadn’t focused on the Temple of the Holy Spirit and caring for our bodies and lives as an act of worshipping God. That’s a very important insight.?

????????We have all beat this thing over and over. I’ll admit I vacillate between befuddlement and yes, unrighteousness anger, at how the image of Christians has been as a group tarnished, of our own doing, and not because we follow Jesus—with the higher percentage of we evangelicals who don’t get vaccinated, or wear masks, and some even flaunting it—walking around especially those who can’t get vaccinated or have at-risk health conditions.

????????So, did Philippians 2 get snipped out of our inerrant Bibles? Thomas Jefferson style?! Ha! What happened to, “Consider others more important than yourself?” I guess if a person hears and believes enough propaganda about Covid being a hoax, or government overreach, would we expect otherwise.

????????Case in point: Our neighbors have a brother-in-law, pastor of a very fundamentalist church, where few are willing to get vaccinated. Both he and his wife got Covid from a super spreader church service along with about half of the church members. A 38-year-old mother of 4 also and died, as well as a man in his 70’s. That story is repeated over and over. Philippians 2.

????????I’ve also heard Christians say, “many were elderly and likely would die soon anyway.” Pro-life? And we think our message to an unbelieving world on the sanctity of unborn life is heard and persuasive? other than to be called hypocrites—gotta say I’d agree they have more than a point there. OK preaching to the choir here!!

????????Love you brother!

????????PS:?I’m all in on vaccine mandates! Remember that I’m a bureaucrat. But gotta say if I’m in the hospital or a clinic, I want a nurse who is vaccinated, and I don’t want to have to ask the question even. If he or she doesn’t believe in vaccines, not sure I trust their medical skills generally! With Melinda being a teacher we’re also grateful and relieved there is a mask mandate in our county schools, for both her sake and that of all these kids. Just two of quite a few examples of mandate importance.

????????—Mark C, Virginia

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Well said, Pastor Ward! Al and I are getting boosters soon, and wear masks when required. As you say, we have the opportunity to consider others higher than ourselves!

????????—Nancy E, Washington State

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Thank you Ward. This was both sensitive and sensible. I really appreciate your perspective and I hope it will sway some who may be sitting on the fence.?

????????—Kathy C, Washington State

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As usual, you presented a very thoughtful, respectful and godly explanation of what has been on the hearts and minds of so many of us, for?many months.?In my?opinion, you have given us a very good "perspective."?I happen to agree with all the arguments and conclusions you have presented.?And what you've said?affirms my decisions, as well as?the spirit with which I need to discuss this with others of differing opinions (when?I'm asked to give?my?reasons). God bless you, my brother.

????????—Steve H, Washington State

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It has been hard to find any sort of wisdom in the vast sea of gibberish and political manipulation filling the media. Thank you for your article. This was, I believe, the first truly sane voice I have heard on this issue.?I am glad I heard it from you.

????????—Gregory L, Washington State

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AMEN to your honesty and wisdom. I am a believer. Love you.

????????—Eddie Jo M, California

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Thanks Ward. We did “get shot”. But we are soooo tired of this and government mandates. It’s also divisive. I hope you are well!?

????????—Jodi A, California

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I am pretty much on the same page as you Ward. I know it's probably never going back to normal as prior Covid.?I am shot with Moderna and I don't wear masks unless absolutely?necessary. I live my daily life pretty much the same as before.?Thankfully I have not had to be quarantined.?I have now reached 80 as of today and I am ready for Jesus to return!! Have a blessed day.

????????—Betty M, North Carolina

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Good morning Ward. I so appreciated our Pastor’s recent message on what God’s Word teaches about governing authority.

????????I Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:?whether?to the emperor, as the supreme authority; or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.?For it is God’s will that be doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people?Live as free people, BUT do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

????????Romans 13:1 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.?For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

????????It’s about following God’s word and what He has said about leaders over us.?Unless and until believers are asked to do OR not to do something that violates God’s Word, we should do our best as we can to obey.

????????I’m called to be a witness to a watching world. With more than 700,000 souls in the US alone now gone into eternity, and I can presume some were believers, and some were not, I do not want to be responsible by my actions or inactions for the death of anyone. I will have enough to answer for someday.

????????Vax’d—masked as mandated—back playing the piano at a nearby assisted living facility—volunteering—entertaining friends on the back patio as appropriate—attending Bible study and church—singing praise to my Lord—worshipping with other believers—we can do it!!

????????Thanks for keeping the writing going!

????????—Lori O, Oregon

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Thank you so much for expressing your Christian viewpoint—and most importantly—the practical application of the gospel to choice-making in these confusing times.

????????—Don S, Washington State

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“Doing the right thing is the right thing to do.”

????????—K.V. S, India

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Good points. I haven’t really seen anybody just take a look at it from a Christian perspective before. And I have been amazed?at the number of normally intelligent and compassionate people (most of them seem to claim to be Christians from what I can see ) who want to defend their “personal rights” to the extent that they are willing to endanger their neighbors. I hate masks too, but I got vaccinated in the hopes that soon I would not have to wear them anymore. but thanks to all the people who refuse to wear masks or get the shot, now we’re all having to wear them for what could be an extended period of time.

????????—Joan C

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Ward, thanks for your wise words. Wisdom is in short supply these days.

????????—Pete M, Littleton, Colorado

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As a believer, I stand on the word of God in Psalms 91 that says "He is my refuge and my fortress. Surely he will save you from the fowlers snare and from the deadly pestilence. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side , ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." I believe it is time for God fearing Christians to stand up, and to speak up about what our God says in his word, for the people that have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, who stand on his word. If we believe that the bible is the word of God, and we claim its promises in Jesus name, we do not need to fear. When we give advice to others I believe we should quote what the word of God has to say concerning the issues.

????????—Merlin E, Washington State

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If you’ve read this far, you see how different opinions can be held onto tightly by followers of Jesus. This may only have served to solidify the “vaccine and masks” view you held before. Again, you and I do have the right and the responsibility to choose. Choose well my friends and good health to you and those you love.

May Jesus keep us close.

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