The absurdity in this COVID age is not simply that the government wishes to impose particular restraints in the life of the church without authority and violating sphere sovereignty, but that Christians are eager to support those policies and comply with them.
In the beginning there were examples of regulations against meeting in large numbers (understood in the early stages), then, upon setting guidelines for re-opening, certain city officials demanded that individual churches keep a private file for 30 days of all those who attended church (including entrance/exit time and other personal details); then, there were specific observations made to the effect that the Lord’s Supper was to be avoided for safety concerns.
Now, evangelical voices are siding with researchers on the dangers of aerosolized transmission in the church service. Scientists say that “It seems that the virus can spread in this manner; but we don’t know how infectious these tiny particles are.”
What’s the end result of all of this? That congregations should consider a ban on singing or that we should sing less and more quietly or that we delay the opening of church altogether (despite the green light of many officials that they can open) until a vaccine is available.
The rationale for such approach is one I have heard dozens and dozens of times through much of this conversation. It goes like this, “To love our neighbor is to not expose them to any potential risks of getting COVID, and therefore these measures however drastic are clear examples of our corporate commitment to love one another.”
Again, to stress the absolute obvious: precautions are good and prudent. People who are at high risk should take extra caution and religious leaders should offer extra grace. But now we are entering into the realm of the insane when the state (CDC, WHO, whomever) and even evangelical voices begin to demand for the sake of “love” that we retreat from our liturgical duties to appease the gods of the air.
The Church is giving in too much. The sign of our weakening is that the voices of doom from the outside are beginning to shake the very foundation of our faith within. Singing brings walls down, topples empires, brings fear to the devil, soothes the sick and hurting, establishes order and might I add is a marching order from the God who sings over us. Enough already! Singing to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs is probably the most needed medicine in the church today.
