What would Jesus do? Really?
What would Jesus do? No…Really?
Philippians 2:4; Matthew 25:31-46
In March of 2020, at the very beginning of the pandemic, I read an amazing book, John Barry’s, “The Great Influenza.” In the book, Barry traces the history of the flu virus from 1918-1920 which cut across the globe, in which as many as 100 million people may have died. He walks us through the history of medical science and the handful of doctors and researchers who were coming to understand viruses and inoculations—just barely in time. He shows us how a world war that moved people around the world and placed them in tight quarters promoted the virus. He shows us how simple strategies like masking and social distancing proved critical. As you read the book, there is so much that rings true for what we’ve been going through: crucial scientific insights; transmission via world travel; masks and mask protests.
Here’s the thing you should know, though: John Barry’s book was published in 2004, 16 years before our great pandemic! Michael Lewis, in his book, “The Premonition,” relates the story of President George W. Bush reading the book when it first came out, ordering 50 copies, distributing them around the executive branch, and putting together a task force to study potential pandemics and responses. Funding for that work was eventually cut (of course it was!) but some of the scientists stayed in touch and communicated their breakthroughs to one another right up to the rise of COVID.
There is nothing new about a public health crisis. (I remember a book that I read in high school called, “Rats, Lice, and History” which basically made the case that whoever figured out clean water and sanitation always prevailed in history.) There is also nothing intrinsically political about such a crisis. Certainly, all sorts of people lose money and power, not to mention their lives, in such a crisis. Other people get rich or seize power by taking advantage of the moment. In the end, though, there are viruses or germs or rogue cells or the like, and their sole concern is to thrive. It’s no more personal than an earthquake or a hurricane or a tornado. If you are in harm’s way and unprotected, bad things will happen.
Of course, historians can regale us with the tales of human beings who refuse to get out of harm’s way. As a male of our species, there really is a reflexive response when I hear the tornado siren. I run outside to see what’s going on. (Guys, can I get a witness here?) If you read about disasters, men and women have an equal tendency to simply not believe the horror that’s unfolding around them. There was a famous fire in a hotel when the guests, despite repeated warnings that the hotel was on fire, simply kept dancing and died as a result. If we are going to survive, we have to see the danger. Even then, we tend to take our own sweet time to respond, even when every second may be the difference between life or death. We almost never want to do something just because someone told us what to do. So, we dig in our heels.
“Nobody tells me what to do!” If that’s a distinctly human battle cry, then Americans may have cornered the market on that sentiment. Remember, we came here from really disparate places, with a lot of different origin stories, but we united around a government built on the notion that government should mostly stay out of our lives. (Of course, this was particularly true if you were white and male and a landowner but that discussion is for another day.) For a long time, we wanted to be left alone, which was why we were so reluctant to enter World War 1 or World War 2. In 1918, if I came up with the idea of a mask for my protection that might be one thing. If you tell me I have to wear one, that’s different. That’s un-American, right?
We don’t like being told what to do, by experts or by government authorities. We don’t like it when anyone tells us what we don’t want to hear. We have a hard time accepting things that line up with your expectations. To tell the truth, we’re really not all that fond of personal sacrifice. We tend to get mad instead and go after the messenger. (Trust me, I’m acutely aware of this fact as I deliver this sermon!) You can find the photos from 1918 of the protests where mobs of people gathered to…burn their masks.
One hundred years later, where are we? We’re in a very similar place. Scientists had breakthroughs in understanding the genome and the potential for MRNA interventions in just barely enough time, mostly because of AIDS research. When China released the virus’s sequence, literally, within an hour, work began on the vaccines. Whether you agreed or disagreed with the present administration or the previous administration, resources were poured into those vaccines and their distribution. And shockingly—truly amazingly!—those vaccines turned out to be incredibly effective. Scientists working long and hard in labs have basically saved the world.
Well, they could…if it weren’t for human beings and the choices we make. Huge swaths of people around the world still have no access to the vaccines. This might be the virus’s greatest dream come true—huge swaths of the world in which the virus can mutate! In our own country, despite our best efforts, huge groups of people remain unvaccinated—by choice. People are afraid. People are convinced that getting vaccinated is a political statement. People still don’t want anyone to tell them what to do. People would prefer to “keep dancing in the ballroom while the hotel is on fire.”
Again, the virus doesn’t care about any of that. You can be young or old, Black, white or brown, Jewish or Christian or none of the above, Democrat, Republican or Independent. If you are breathing and if you are close enough to breathe in droplets that have the virus in them and you inhale enough of those droplets, you get the virus. Just like 1918, it’s not personal or political. It’s a biological tsunami that is sweeping over us in waves.
Now, we could play the “Choose You Own Adventure” game and find someone to blame: “If you want to blame the democrats, choose channel 54; if you want to blame the republicans, choose channel 65.” (That’s works on my t.v.) However, I’m thinking we’re all a little tired of that. I know that I am. So let’s tell a couple of truths instead…
1. There are people who can’t be vaccinated because of medical issues. They are not the people to blame. The fact that they can’t get vaccinated is one of the many reasons we should.
2. There are people who are too young to get vaccinated. Again, protecting the well-being of children is another great reason to get vaccinated. Children need all the parents and grandparents they can get!
3. Lots of us have been vaccinated and boosted. That is fantastic! Seriously!
Beyond that though, we are dealing in excuses.
1. “We’re afraid of complications.” A lot of people have gone first now. Getting vaccinated looks a lot better than getting COVID.
2. “We’re studying the science.” Wow, by this point you’ve got your masters and must be well on your way to your PhD.
3. “We’d rather try something else. ” Let’s see, Chlorox bleach, sunshine, horse medicine…this list is growing.
4. “We don’t trust the doctors.” Who did you trust to make recommendations for cancer treatment for your family member? Who do you want to treat you when you’re having a heart attack?
5. “I have religious objections.” (I have to say that this makes as little sense as having religious objections to stop signs.)
Let’s explore that last one for a while. One of the big groups opposing vaccination have been my evangelical Christian brothers and sisters. I believe that this opposition rests primarily in the way that the vaccine has been politicized. (Again, it’s shocking to me that both this administration and the previous administration aren’t fighting each other for the credit for the research, the manufacture and the roll out of the vaccines!) Of course, it is such a powerful bond to be the opposition. The only thing better than “Just leave me alone” is “Just leave us alone.” The power of being part of the opposition often outweighs any appeal to the common good.
What I want to object to today though is the specific notion that there is something about following Jesus of Nazareth that could be the basis for not getting vaccinated. Opposing vaccination seems grounded in self-interest. People don’t think they’ll get sick. Maybe they are right. Although the 1918 influenza hit young people hardest, that hasn’t been true so far with COVID. Why bother?
Well, as a society, we do things to keep others safe. We stop at stop signs, don’t drive drunk, and don’t speed through school zones because that’s how we keep each other safe. If we break those rules, sooner or later, we will get caught and penalized or we will cause an accident or harm someone and be penalized. There are all sorts of social contracts like this which allow society to function. Those social contracts rely on us being responsible citizens. Being irresponsible costs everyone. So, for years, we have all taken our vaccination records to the school nurse. In process, we got rid or polio, and smallpox, and controlled many other diseases.
As followers of Christ, though, acting for the common good is not an option that we wake up one day and choose. Acting for the common good is Christ’s mandate. The bottom line is that we are supposed to care about other people, especially people we might otherwise overlook or ignore: feed the hungry; visit the sick, care for the lonely. We all know the drill. If someone needs a coat, give them yours. If someone asks for help, go the extra mile. Paul, said it pretty succinctly in our text, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but to the interests of others.” Yes, of course, being self-interested is the most natural thing in the world. The problem is that Jesus is asking us to be better than our instincts. Jesus teaches us that there is no greater love than to sacrifice our life for a friend. Then, he goes beyond that example when he lays down his life, not just for his friends, but for us all.
So, you can say, “I don’t want to get vaccinated because it’s not in my interest or because you can’t make me or because I know science better than the scientists. However, look again at the person on the ventilator struggling to breathe. Listen to the nurse or doctor who is being crushed emotionally after months and months of trying to keep COVID patients alive. Look at how much more vulnerable the poor and marginalized are to the disease. Then, try to tell me that Jesus wouldn’t want you to wear a mask or make safe choices or get a shot to help make this scourge end.
Hear me clearly, every person—vaccinated or unvaccinated—is a child of God to be loved. We love each other, even when we disagree. Now, though, omicron is here. Things are about to get very difficult and it’s pretty clear, it didn’t have to be this hard. If we are going to work our way past the present challenges, we have to do what’s necessary to protect each other. Either we will figure out how to work together or, as a society, as a nation, and as a world, we will be pulled apart.
As followers of Christ, we start with the needs of others. We keep an eye, always, on the overlooked and the ignored—the vulnerable. We roll up our sleeves and go to work and get a shot.