Happenings 11/11/2021

We are living in troubling times and it is very easy to be swayed by many conflicting and vociferous voices.

This week I have been pondering the response to the vaccines and how we as Christians accept the limitations placed on us and our so-called freedoms as we grow weary and want to be out and about.
Also there is much fear about the possibility of restrictions placed on nonvaccinated being excluded from gatherings.

I want to share with you some extracts from an article published in the Otago Daily Times and reproduced in the  Baptist Magazine online.  It is written by Gareth Jones who attends Dunedin Baptist Church and is an Emeritus Professor of Anatomy. There is much to think about.  I have taken highlights from the article. Gareth writes:

A great deal has been heard of late about the use of vaccine mandates to control who can and cannot work in various organisations, from hospitals to schools, and who will or will not be allowed to attend concerts and sporting fixtures.

In the midst of what can be a confusing scene, the leaders of some church groups have made their views abundantly clear, as they have railed against any mandates that would prevent people from attending their churches. In their eyes vaccine mandates would represent placing the authority of the Government over the authority of God.

To turn people away from services goes against all that most churches stand for. But it is unfortunate that much of the well-publicised opposition to vaccine mandates is based on the rights of individuals and the freedom to express themselves as they wish

An emphasis far more congenial to Christian thinking is the opposite, and that is to protect the health and wellbeing of all within the community—both within the church and in wider society. There is no hint in Christian thinking that the authority of the church is superior to the authority of government. Ideally, they work alongside one another respecting each other and endeavouring to achieve what is best for all within society.

Biblical values emphasise love of neighbour; service of others; support for widows and orphans—in our society this translates into support for the vulnerable, those unable to fend for themselves, those with compromised immune systems, the elderly and the very young, and especially those with chronic health conditions. There is a communitarian thrust to Christian teaching, pointing towards the welfare of others, inside and outside the church.

In the midst of a serious pandemic, individual churches have to determine their own policies regarding vaccine mandates. Since COVID-19 is a serious public health problem, the vaccinated/non-vaccinated dichotomy cannot be ignored by allowing everyone to act as they wish. In public health terms, everyone in a church community is affected by the actions of everyone else. No-one is an island and so the decisions of each person have an influence on everyone else. Individual interests are never to dominate, as clearly brought out by core biblical teaching to love God and one’s neighbour. Each of us is responsible for looking after those around us, in health terms as well as in spiritual terms.

In the final analysis, the church leaders have responsibility for the health and safety, and the welfare of all within a church building. This is a general principle, extending far beyond COVID-19 considerations.

Arohanui,
Olwyn