Please wear a mask when you are in stores or the pharmacy or other public buildings. When you wear a mask, you are showing love for your neighbour and your community.
This coronavirus wants us to act individually. What we need to do, in order to eradicate this virus, is see ourselves as a community, working together, rather than as individuals with our own ideas, opinions and willingness to take risks.
The wisdom that Jesus taught, out of his Jewish faith, was that we are to love our neighbour as ourselves, love our enemies and love the strangers in our midst. “Love one another as I have loved you,” he said to his followers. Over and over again, Jesus emphasized that what makes a difference in this world is how we care for and treat each other. He never said, “Look out for yourself. Put yourself first.” No, it was always about each of us caring for the other so that we are all cared for.
That’s what we need to do NOW! I wear a mask in stores and other public places not to protect myself but to protect YOU! Wearing my mask is how I show that I love my neighbour and my community.
It’s so easy to say, “A mask is uncomfortable and too warm to wear. It fogs up my glasses.” But it is not about ME. It is about YOU! When I wear a mask, I make sure that if I happen to have COVID-19 (and I can have it without knowing it), then I am not going to spread the virus to you. If I cough or sneeze, it is contained in my mask. If I breathe out in a big sigh or shout out, the natural droplets created are contained in my mask. In this way, I protect you – and show that I am seeking to be a loving and caring member of this community.
It is easy to say that I don’t care if I get COVID-19, but I do care if I give it to someone else. I do care deeply that if I transmit the virus to someone else, they, or a loved one they might transmit it to, could become seriously ill or even die. I do not want to be the cause of anyone else’s illness, and especially of someone’s death, if there is something I can do to prevent it.
So, I wear a mask, not for my own sake, but for your sake. I wear a mask in public because that is what I understand the wisdom of Jesus tells me to do. This is not about me as an individual, and what I prefer or am willing to risk. Being a Christian is not about me! When I wear a mask, I make a bold and caring statement that I am loving others, and that love is more important than my personal preferences. I wear a mask so that others, like toddlers who wouldn’t keep a mask on or others who for various reasons can’t wear a mask, are safe and so you are safe!
So, please, join me in wearing a mask to show that we love our neighbours and our community.
We need to act as a community, not as individuals, right now!
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