Was it really a week ago that people mobbed the stores, determined to get what they could? Because we were afraid that this virus was going to keep us from getting what we needed when we needed it?
Just a week ago that my son came home from school for the last time until the end of March, and maybe longer?
My friend Laura writes a column for her local paper. The column coming out on Sunday will be about "the new abnormal", as she calls it, and it's a perfect phrase.
I already know that I can count on getting very little done in the mornings, because mornings are when my son gets his digital learning assignments and I will be his main resource as to how to do them.
I also know that I will need to keep working because there is still plenty of proofing work to do.
It's very odd, this new world that we have entered, where its history will not necessarily be recorded in textbooks but in Facebook memes and Twitter posts. Where suddenly, social media and streaming services are a necessity to keep working and to fight boredom. Where Netflix and the European Union are talking about dropping HD programming for the moment because so many people are doing online streaming.
Today a Filipino Christian commented that a baptism he'd planned had been canceled due to the COVID-19 virus. They are being ordered to stay one meter apart, they cannot go past a police checkpoint, and violating the law will lead to a fine and/or imprisonment. Many Filipino Christians are living hand to mouth and they literally cannot afford to break the law.
I saw at least one person say, "Baptize the person anyway! What if they die?"
Several comments also followed, where the Filipino Christian explained about the fines and someone asked, don't you have a congregation that could take up a collection? (My comment: Don't suggest to these people that they break the law unless you are going to help them with the consequences, legal, monetary, and other.)
My suggestion? Maybe the person wanting to get baptized can give the confession to someone standing a meter away, then dunk themselves in water? Or, perhaps they can live stream their baptism?
This is a situation I had not thought about that could result from this virus: how do you baptize when you are not allowed to be around people in public? Or when being near people is a literal health hazard?
We are going to have to get very creative in the days and weeks that follow if we really want to help people turn to Christ in this midst of this pandemic. One person who commented on my wall said that we in Churches of Christ have not done a very good job of thinking through what to do when one could not be baptized (not when one is unwilling to do so, but when they are unable to do so.)
I do strongly believe in the importance of baptism. I don't want to get into a theological discussion here, but if you take a look at the book of Acts and if you look at conversions described in detail, they all talk about baptism.
I also believe that God is a God of grace, and that he knows and understands the heart of someone who desires to follow Him. Surely there are ways He will make for those who want to do so.
Okay, everyone, here we go again:
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine!
Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.
No comments:
Post a Comment