Kudos to Rev Vunisuwai for standing his ground against internal criticism for his advocacy on COVID-19 vaccination
Methodist Church president Reverend Ili Vunisuwai deserves recognition for standing his ground against criticism internally over his support for COVID-19 vaccination.
He is not rattled by some pretty scathing attacks from some church members on his role as church president at the height of the pandemic.
The row strikes at the very core of their faith and the relationship between church leadership and the membership.
It discusses the issue of whether there are defined boundaries that dictate the directives or counsels given by church leaders.
The other question is whether the members are morally obliged to follow their leaders.
Reassurance
Rev Vunisuwai has reassured that the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma will not stop from carrying out its role towards the general welfare of its people.
He was responding to some church members who oppose vaccination.
One member asked: “Will the Methodist Church compensate my family if a close family member dies from the injection after listening to his directive?’
‘The decision to take the vaccine should not be on the basis that just because the Qase Levu has taken it so all the members should follow likewise. Never. Never. Never. It is like the blind leading the blind. He should stick to the message of Salvation and leave our health alone.
And on that note how about giving a directive to stop yaqona drinking for members of the church, a habit that is killing more Fijians than this socalled flu,” the member’s statement said.
Rev Vunisuwai in response said, “My role she allegedly specifies as being the spiritual salvation of the people and nothing about the health of our body.”
“My response: We are human beings consisting of spirit, soul, and body. They are inseparable.”
Rev Vunisuwai is spot on. When we talk about the soul, it consists of the body and spirit. Death occurs when the spirit leaves the body. The body is buried or cremated. The spirit goes to a special place God has prepared in the spirit world to await the resurrection and judgment.
Resurrection is when the body and the spirit are reunited and restored as we all rise to face judgment. We will be judged according to our works in mortality. Those who are valiant and obey God’s
commandments by doing good will be rewarded accordingly with eternal life and exaltation. Others who don’t, doing evil work, will face their just rewards. They will live in everlasting misery. That is what Christians believe anyway.
Church’s concern
Rev Vunisuwai is right when he says the church is also concerned with the physical wellbeing of people and that is why they have a social welfare department of the church.
“Therefore, you cannot stop the church from her role towards the general welfare of the people. The people are now suffering from the loss of jobs, and consequently, the families are at stake. Similarly, our children are facing a lot of challenges at home. Our way forward is a vaccine approved by the Ministry of Health and WHO.”
The fact is we cannot separate the body from the spirit. The only time it happens is when a person dies. When a person is sick it also affects
his or her emotional and spiritual well-being. Try getting a person suffering from severe physical pain to pray and join in a worship - it is extremely difficult.
Any faith group worth its salt will cater for both the temporal (physical) and spiritual needs of its members.
CHURCH FULFILLING RESPONSIBILITIES
The church is therefore fulfilling its responsibilities by urging its members to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and others. There is nothing evil about it.
The member’s fear about death is unfounded. So far no one has died here from reactions or complications after getting the jab. Besides this fear is unchristian.
Christians are not supposed to be frightened of death anyway because everyone will die one way or another unless they feel they are not prepared spiritually.
The member’s question on whether the church can compensate the family if someone dies after vaccination is childish and ridiculous.
Rev Vunisuwai has given an appropriate response that he cannot answer that question. It is because it is unreasonable.
Where is the faith and loyalty of the members in question when their spiritual leader says it is okay to be vaccinated?
Protecting and saving lives are godly attributes. God has given human beings the intelligence to create vaccines in the field of medicine to save lives.
When a measles outbreak hit Fiji in 2019, the same members did not protest against immunisation. In fact, no one opposed it. No one died also.
What’s the difference now? What is the basis of resistance especially when COVID-19 is more dangerous and deadlier than measles? There is only one word to describe the resistance - insane.