Dear Family and Friends,

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I am a fan of Pope Francis. Yes, I know he’s Catholic but regardless of position in life, one has to admire his heart for others and how he examples a life of devotion to Jesus. And to top it all off, he does, on occasion, get a few of his teachings right. I’M KIDDING.

To give credit where credit is due, the Pope gave an inspiring message last Sunday from which I quote later in today’s message.
 
Today I have a somber warning for us. There’s a condition growing like a cancer within the Church. This condition, brought on by the virus, has the potential to ravage the Christian community, just like cancer can ravage a body. 

This condition is the temptation to categorize Christians, pastors and churches into two groups: Vaxxers and Non-Vaxxers.

Regardless of the group we belong to, we shake our heads – unable to understand those who believe differently about vaccines – and conclude that they are: misinformed, misled, risking their lives and worst of all, not following the precepts of the Bible.

Perhaps you battled this temptation to categorize others. I have. It’s become an emotional personal topic for many of us.

That said, let’s see what Jesus might say to us through this passage from the Gospel of Mark.

“John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:38-40 ESV

In this passage, Jesus put a quick stop to the divisive talk and actions of his disciples. He explained that all who did mighty works in His name were for Him, not against Him, and their work was to not be impeded.

Jesus was also reminding them and He reminds us today to guard our hearts from the works of the enemy.

It’s natural to be proud of the community of followers we belong to. But when we begin to compare ourselves against others, proud quickly turns into pride, the elevation of self above others.

What follows closely behind is this tendency to push away those who are not with us or like us, who do not think or act as we do.

Pride is what inflicted His disciples.

Forgive us Lord Jesus if we followed their ways and not Yours.

Although the Pope gave a different message, his closing words apply to us as well. 
 

“All this runs the risk of turning Christian communities into places of separation and not of communion. The Holy Spirit does not want closedness; He wants openness, and welcoming communities where there is a place for everyone.

And then in the Gospel there is Jesus’ exhortation: instead of judging everything and everyone, let us beware, be careful of ourselves! Indeed, the risk is that of being inflexible towards others and indulgent towards ourselves.

And Jesus urges us not to descend to making pacts with evil, with striking images: ‘If something in you causes you to sin, cut it off!’ If something harms you, cut it off!

He does not say, ‘If something is a reason for scandal, stop, think about it, improve a bit…’. No: ‘Cut it off! Immediately!’ Jesus is radical in this, demanding, but for our own good, like a good doctor. Every cuttrim, every pruning, is so we can grow better and bear fruit in love.”
Pope Francis


No matter which side of the vaccine wall you stand on, can we all agree to tear down the wall?

There is no place in the Church for division. The enemy is out there! Let’s not allow vaccination to become a distraction.

This is no more than a temporal disturbance that will soon be forgotten. There is a far greater eternal work that lies before us – sharing the Gospel.

This message against division is universal in that it applies to all aspects of our lives. We live in a society that renders judgment absent facts. That puts self before others. That has no qualms about setting standards higher for others than for self.

Jesus asks that we be counter cultural to the world in which we live.

He wants us to be a people known for loving others before all else. When we love first, the will to sin, to judge and categorize others will no longer exist within us.

Let’s allow the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus – and then do our best to love – you know – ‘Those Christians.’

In love always,