Suspension of church services: Ignorant faith or wisdom?
THE DECISION taken by some denominations to suspend their Sabbath or Sunday service this past weekend, in light of the propagation of the coronavirus, has been the subject of much debate and criticism in the local Christian fraternity. The Caribbean Conference of Seventhday Christians (CCSDC) is one such organisation that has come under fire from some of its members, but more so from other groups, for closing its doors to its congregants as well as the wider public.
Several clergymen have described the move as being coward and a lack of faith, especially among Sabbatarians. This ‘radical’ approach by the CCSDC has also amplified the stereotype held by many other apostolic denominations that Christians who honour the fourth commandment (observing the Seventhday Sabbath) are less powerful and have less Holy Spirit.
It is noteworthy that the discussion centres primarily around exercising faith and/or wisdom. Both of them are given by God, but is one superior to the other in this context? There are many scriptures that have been used to support and disapprove of the closure of churches. Understandably, just like with matters related to politics or sexuality, arguing theology and doctrine remains unabated.
It is rather appalling how many Jamaicans think that they are holier and more righteous than the rest of the world. Is it because we have the most churches per square mile?
Several countries and churches across the world have taken precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus. This is the case, for example, in Italy, France, Spain and the United States of America. Christians are not immune to the virus simply because they believe in God. If faith alone sufficed, it would be ironic that Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji church in South Korea, is allegedly responsible for the transmission of the virus in that country. Does faith mean putting yourself and others at risk in the midst of a global pandemic?
WE ARE THE CHURCH
Those who portray themselves as being more spiritual, especially prophets and
intercessors, will cite James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” New
International Version [NIV]”
While I have no doubt about the miraculous power of God, I would like to know how many patients were cured from Ebola and malaria in Africa through the laying of hands. How many people in our immediate churches have been healed from cancer and HIV/AIDS after prayers were offered up for them? Does that mean our faith is weak?
I can agree that we do not always have a faith that dominates, but some Christians’ faith is ignorant. They purposefully walk into danger and then plead the blood of Jesus.
The problem with some of these saints is that they believe they should always be in a gathering so that their voices can be heard, and their movements can be seen.
On the contrary, the Bible teaches us that we, the people, are the Church; the physical structure only accommodates us when we meet corporately. In fact, in the early Apostolic Church, the disciples had to meet in other people’s homes for service. How about taking this moment to spend some alone time with God or to (re)build your family altar? Truthfully, this moment could be more enriching than a mass gathering.
WISDOM
Despite the coronavirus not being a direct type of war against Christians, we learn from the scriptures that many Bible characters exercised wisdom in certain difficult situations, including Jesus himself. John 8:59 NIV: “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” In Matthew 24:16, Jesus advised his disciples to flee to the mountain in face of persecution.
The prophet Nehemiah is also a perfect example of someone who exercised both faith and wisdom. We see in Chapter 4:9 of his book from the New Living Translation [NLT], “But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.”
We, too, ought to continue praying for healing for those who are sick, and also that this virus will disappear in the shortest possible time, while protecting ourselves simultaneously.
Despite not opening our doors from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., we still had our Sabbath Day’s worship in our families, small groups, via Facebook and WhatsApp, and other Internet-based platforms.
An important reminder to take from this coronavirus episode is that there will come a moment where churches will be closed definitively, and we will have to find alternative approaches to keep our connection with God and each other.
Now, someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” James 2:18 NLT.
The Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Christians, along with other denominations which have taken precautionary measures in this pandemic, has done so out of love for self and others.