A friend of mine posted recently on Facebook that she didn’t understand Christians claiming the wearing of a face mask would offend God.
I hadn’t heard this one, but she has. She says some Christians feel that way about wearing a face mask.
She also said she saw a deacon claim on the news wearing a face mask would prevent us from showing God glory our faces.
Dear Lord.
(Pardon the expression.)
Sometimes I just don’t know where to begin with craziness like this.
To be fair, it didn’t take overly-religious people long at all to start saying ridiculous things about COVID-19 and their response to it.
Back in early April, a defiant church member told a reporter she didn’t worry about getting sick. She said she was “covered in Christ’s blood,” and that protected her. The arrogance of that statement suggests she thinks everyone who did get sick was somehow less “faithful” than she.
I believe that’s the sin of pride showing.
Christians also took great pains early on to show they were going to ignore stay-at-home orders. They seemed to think that going to church despite public safety warnings must impress God.
Sounds pretty prideful to me as well.
Why would face masks offend God?
I believe God gave us science and the curiosity to explore His creation because He wanted to open some of the world’s mysteries to us. I believe we can’t know everything, but science helps us at least learn some of it.
And I do believe that God gave us brains so we could figure things out for ourselves…even while we still believe in Him.
Science and religion are not enemies.
If God gave us the wisdom — the gift — of intelligent people among us to figure out dangers, why would He be angry that we listen to that knowledge?
Do people think we lack faith if we wear a mask? If they do, I’d like to ask them a few questions.
Do they lock their doors at night? Why would they? After all, if God can protect them from COVID-19, He can surely stop a burglar from walking into their home and taking their stuff.
Christians aren’t supposed to be obsessed with “stuff,” right?
And then there’s the deacon who worried face masks prevent us from showing God glory in our faces.
Here’s another question: Why do we need to show glory to God without a face mask? Doesn’t God know everything, particularly what’s in our heart? Doesn’t God already know what we’re thinking — even before we think it?
If we’re dutifully wearing our face masks to protect other people, aren’t we taking care of His children?
I’d think that if we’re so worried about what He would think, we’d assume we might at least get a point or two for protecting others.
Wear a mask. Be smart.
I think you’re less likely to offend God if you act like you have a brain!
