This Covid circumstance has been eye opening.
I thought I was disappointed when I saw how political leaders responded.
Then I saw how church leaders responded and I knew what disappointment really was.
I know my American History. There was a time in 1776 when the passion for Christian liberty burned in the hearts of American Church leaders.
Did you know the American Revolution was called the Presbyterian Rebellion by the English? Because they knew it was the Presbyterian ministers that were fanning the flames of freedom in the hearts of their congregations.
And now? Church leaders cower, waiting to be saved by the government.
And even when freedom is once again restored to our state, when once the Promised Land has been reached, they see that Canaan is filled with giants and they fear to enter.
And they believe that they are being compassionate to stay distant. But the heart is deceitful above all else. Where does Scripture say to stay distant from your fellow man? I’ll tell you, because it does. It says to stay distant while you are ill. It doesn’t say to stay distant because illness exists. Yet, we have corrupted that philosophy to keep everyone away from everyone.
And they have cloaked their fear under a veil of compassion. For it is indeed compassionate to not expose your known illness to another while still being willing to enter into the house of the sick yourself and expose yourself in order to care for them.
They have forsaken the God-given command to publicly and corporately worship.
And why? Because we need to submit to the civil authorities they say. Even though the highest authority in this nation and in this state is the US Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, both of which guarantee religious rights, among others. And even though the Supreme Court of Wisconsin has ruled that the orders from the Administration were “illegal and unenforceable” meaning that you could have been legally meeting all along in submission to the true, lawful authorities.
And still, some choose to not meet, even though the Court ruling has taken effect and there are now no legal questions in the majority of Wisconsin (I know some areas are still dealing with lawless local officials).
Or maybe some will choose to start meeting soon. But not until they put in place non-biblical standards that directly interfere with the worship and fellowship of their church.
And what happened to Christian Liberty? For my Protestant friends, what happened to not adding non-Biblically prescribed requirements to the service?
Require masks? “Strongly recommend” masks to the point that you try and bully others to do as you wish? Not allow children to play with their friends? Force people to stay away from each other? Put in place policies that discourage people from attending? There are so many others I’ve heard.
In the name of feeling safe (rather than being safe, I might add), church leaders are taking away the reasons people go to services in person. If all we wanted was a sermon, we’ve got radios and televisions for that.
We can’t be free anymore because we are scared? We can’t touch each other because that is loving, even if you aren’t sick?
And in this time that government has destroyed people’s livlihoods, stolen their businesses for 2 months without just compensation, and people are desperate, depressed and in despair, when suicide rates have skyrocketed and millions are facing financial and personal hardships caused by the direct hand of government, the response of Church leaders has largely been a shrug.
They’ve sat back and said nothing while Biblical principles of freedom have been violated again and again by the government officials. And to make it even worse, they have even given up their own personal ministries to help people overcome the hardship. “Oh don’t worry,” they say. “We’ve got a streaming service.” Or maybe they go a step further and make a few calls. But they don’t visit. They don’t actually spend time with the desperate and lonely.
Think of the people in old folks’ homes that can no longer see family and the church family no longer visits. These elderly people are the most obvious victims because they can’t seek out their own fellowship. At least the rest of us could go to Walmart for the last 2 months. And largely, church leaders have allowed this abuse of our citizens to go unchallenged. Why? Because they have been told to be afraid and they are.
The bride of Christ has been beaten and left for dead by magistrates who don’t care. She’s bleeding and desperate for help, but the Priest and the Levite pass by on the other side of the road, for who knows what disease she might have?
Most of us are but lowly Samaritans, who should be able to make our trips without incident if the Priest or the Levite had done their job.
But here we are. So let’s get it done.
P.S. To those Church leaders who have done rightly, I thank you for your service to God, the people under your care, and the community at large
Representative Shae Shortwell
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