Is this the desert?

I don't think there's any argument that we live in unprecedented times. Never in my life has anything drawn our nation to a total standstill quite like this. There has never been a time when we honestly have had no idea what will happen tomorrow. We haven't ever been so aware of everything we have taken for granted. Our "normal" has had the rug pulled out from underneath it. 

Nothing is normal. Nothing is the same. No one knows where this will take us, how long it will take us to get there or what it will look like. We're not just dealing with something new...we're dealing with something we don't understand, we don't know how to eradicate it, and we absolutely cannot agree on how we should move forward.

I've grown weary, as I'm sure you have as well, of this Novel COVID-19 virus. If I am honest, I've grown much more intolerant of the whining, griping, moaning, and ranting over the whole "To mask or not to mask" debate. I've heard all I need to hear about how this is just a conspiracy by the government to take away our rights, overthrow what we know as democracy, enslave us, etc.

So what is my response? Well, of course, it's infringing on our rights. Many feel compelled by their passion to share their opinions, defiantly proclaiming, "I'll never wear a mask. I'll never give up my rights!" 

I get it, it is different, it is not normal, and change never makes everyone happy, BUT we have to consider another truth...we already give up our rights daily. 

How so? Well... When the sign says 35, you give up your right to drive 70 miles per hour down that particular road. And, most do so willingly. Why abide by the limitations if it is our God-given right to drive as fast as we like?

Two simple words: Public Safety. 

Further down that same road, when the light turns red, you willingly give up your right to continue your journey by coming to a complete stop. Why? 

Again, Public safety. 

We all have rights, but the key to a free and fair society is our willingness to lay down our freedoms when they infringe on others' rights. Every medical professional I've heard speak on this issue says, those above the age of 65 are at a much higher risk of death if exposed to this virus.

As one who falls into that category, when you put on a mask, you not only willingly lay down your rights for the Public Safety...you do something even more significant. You practice one of the two great commandments that Jesus gave us and commanded us to follow, "love your neighbor as yourself"(Mark 12:31). 

And I, for one, feel the love.

I know some of you still aren't convinced. You got that Message through Facebook from the Joker, and you believe that wearing a mask is the first step in the downfall of our nation as we know it. 

Well, maybe you identify more as an American than you do as a Follower of Christ. Don't get me wrong, I love this country and feel it is one of the greatest blessings to be born here and experience freedom but, first and foremost, I identify myself as a follower of Jesus.

When I need answers, I look to the Bible, God's Word to His people. I go there to gather any insight I can to get through this mess. Recently, I read the account of the Israelites wandering through the desert for forty years. 

Have you ever asked yourself why they had to wander around for forty years before they could find their Promised Land? Most assume they were just lost. That actually couldn't be any further from the truth. 

In fact, unlike you and me, they couldn't be lost. God used the ultimate Google Maps to lead them. No "recalculating." They had a visible fire by night and a visible cloud by day to follow. They weren't lost. In fact, the worst part of all is if you map out their journey, they simply wandered in circles for forty years. 

So, why did God cause them to wander around for forty years? 

So an entire generation could die off and miss the land they had been promised. And what was the crime that caused them to die in the desert? Complaining. Griping. Whining. Grumbling. 

Apparently, God takes whining seriously. Seriously enough to kill off an entire generation and not allow them to realize their dream. The Promised Land was close and attainable but, their whining and griping and sorry attitudes kept them from realizing their dream. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, made it from the original million or so.

What's that got to do with today? 

Well... in Iran, they kill Christians, yet the Church is flourishing. 

Why? Rather than whine, they pray and obey. 

In China, they bulldoze churches and build parks like the building never existed. But, the Church is flourishing there too. 

Why? They're too busy finding places to meet in secret, praying, and serving the Lord with gladness to complain or grumble. 

I guess my point is, compared to death, exile, torture, and imprisonment, wearing a mask really kind of pales in comparison. Don't you think? 

Maybe the ability of faithful Christ-followers to persevere under the direst of circumstances with smiles, joy, and gladness attracts others to know Jesus and follow him. 

Maybe, just maybe, if we grumbled less and followed more with grateful hearts, more people would be attracted to the Jesus we claim changed our lives...and our attitudes...and they might want to follow Him too.

Hey, and maybe we won't wander around in a COVID wilderness for the next forty years and miss all the promises God has for us. Just a thought.