Letter of a friend to his Church Board.
Dear Board,
Thank you for giving me time to speak last night and for listening to my concerns. You gave me a fair hearing and I appreciate it.
I wish to reiterate a few things for the sake of clarity. (1) . . . (2) . . . (3) . . .
These are all important matters. More important, though, is our response as a church to the Wuhan virus. This is the greatest battle we have faced in our lifetime. Because of a flu the governments of this nation have shut down businesses, created a huge panic, made people wear masks in public, quarantined the healthy, and instituted insane “social distancing” policies. Most appalling is that the states have effectively closed the churches.
This is not an overreaction by leaders who have our health and safety in mind. (NB: I am not speaking of every local mayor or governor; there probably are some men of good will who have been taken in.) This is not even a mere scheme to arrogate powers to themselves that our Republic has never given to them. This is an attempt to fundamentally change our way of life. It is an attack on our liberties, a usurpation of our personal sovereignty (politically speaking), and a vicious suppression of our divinely mandated duty to worship our Creator and Redeemer.
The Church of Christ needs to stand up against this diabolical scheme. And not just a few churches here and there, but every last one — Reformed, Anglican, Baptist, Wesleyan, Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran; all churches. We disgrace the Name of our Savior if we do not, as a Body, fight this hideous strength.
I know our congregation is on the verge of getting back to normal. But this is not enough. We need to unite with all of Christ’s people to tell our oppressors “NO.” We need to tell Caesar that we will obey God not man; that he has no authority to shutter our churches. And if the churches are “allowed” to open this summer we need to declare that we will NEVER close the churches again.
Do not think that we are safe in South Dakota. This fall there will be another “spike” and the Feds will order another lockdown. Our governor will likely capitulate — though we should pray she does not. We need to prepare; we need to stand united.
Gentlemen, it is time to fight. We are in a battle. Let us recognize this and engage. We may lose in the short run. We may be fined. We may be arrested. We may die. But our personal fates do not matter. What matters is the honor of our great Savior.
Though I am nothing, I intend to fight. Please engage. Please preach against this tyranny of lies and oppression. Please go on the offensive with the spiritual weapons we have been given. And please start talking to other pastors and priests in order to organize a united front.
This is a time for action and strong leadership.
You may dismiss my call to arms as an absurd overreaction. I wish this were the case. This is one time I wish I was wrong. But, with all humility, I am not. Sinister plans have been set in motion. There is no other explanation for the lies, manipulation, and dictates we have seen. Our enemies have made their opening move. It is time to counter.
Once again, thank you for listening.
Your fellow servant,