Is Safety Our #1 Priority in Reopening?

I am posting links to the New York Times and Washington Post COVID-19 updates because they draw attention to two different scenarios, or sequence of events, that are playing out in the United States. In one scenario a number of communities are experiencing a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases and deaths. This may be attributable to the warmer, more humid weather; people spending more time outdoors; and people complying with such precautionary measures as social distancing, face masks, and hand washing. In the other scenario a number of communities are experiencing a substantial increase in cases and deaths. The state of Arizona is particularly hard hit. We really do not know enough about the COVID-19 virus to account for these disparate scenarios.

There is a very real temptation to ignore one scenarios for the other and to extrapolate it to the whole country and then use the conclusions that we have drawn from the extrapolation to justify our reopening or regathering decisions. From what I see the temptation is more to ignore the negative turn of events for the positive one. Because some parts of the country are experiencing what may be a lull in the storm, it is not a time to become complacent and careless.

In my lifetime I have experienced several hurricanes, include Betsy, Camille, Carmen, and Katrina. While hurricanes move in a circular motion as they move across the Gulf of Mexico and then onto land, they are experienced as coming in waves like a pandemic. First comes the front wall of the hurricane, then the eye, and finally the back wall of the hurricane. The extent of the damage to a community is determined by where it was in the path of the hurricane and which side of the hurricane passed over the community. The front right side of the hurricane causes the most damage. It has the highest winds, higher storm surge and seas, and the highest rainfall. However, when the eye of a hurricane passes over a community, the winds drop and the rain slackens. Except for the visible damage, the flooding, and a gray sky one might think that there had been no hurricane at all. If the global Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 and other epidemics are anything to go by, the communities that are experience a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases and deaths are in all likelihoods in the eye of the hurricane. The storm is not past. The worst may be yet to come. It is not a time to drop our guard.

When you live in hurricane country, you learn to prepare for the worst. You keep a stock of batteries, flashlights, candles, bottled water, canned and other non-perishable food items that do not require heating or cooking, first aid kits, matches, and similar items in event of a hurricane. You also make plans to evacuate if necessary. I spent Hurricane Katrina with my mother and my aunt who refused to evacuate. I was not going to leave two elderly women to weather the storm alone. At one point in the storm the winds nearly ripped off the roof of my aunt’s house. The rain poured into the kitchen through a hole in the roof. The winds downed all the pecan trees that lined her street. One tree split in two and one half fell on my aunt’s truck. We were on the weak side of the hurricane.

One lesson that I learned from that hurricane is not to underestimate natural calamities whether they are hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, floods, or pandemics. They do tremendous damage and we may not know the full extent of the damage until much later.

I now live in a region of the United States that has its own share of dangers—tornadoes, ice storms, flash floods, and seasonal flooding. It is also the location of the New Madrid Fault. In 1811-1812 it was the site of the largest earthquakes in the United States since European settlement of that part of North America. The local settlers believed that the world was coming to an end. Geologists are divided over the likelihood of more such earthquakes in our time. However, the state and local authorities prepare for that eventuality and the region’s residents are encourage to do likewise. Most of the tremors are fairly weak. One, however, did tip me out of my bed where I was sleeping.

I recommend a cautious approach to reopening or regathering, whichever term you prefer, one that does not unduly jeopardize the health and well-being of a church’s attendees. A cautious approach uses careful forethought to avoid dangers and close attention to minimize risks. A cautious approach prepares for the possibility that there may be a resurgence of the virus in the community and the church may need to suspend its in-person services again. It also continues to offer online services for those who for one reason or another are not ready to return to the building.

While I have heard the argument that we should put our trust in God to protect us, this argument appears to assume that God is going to protect us in only one way—miraculously. God may work through miracles, signs and wonders, but he also works through much more ordinary means—the levels of protection that precautionary measures like outdoor gatherings, shorter services, shorter sermons, a temporary moratorium on singing and loud talking, booked seating, social distancing, face masks, decontamination of frequently touched surfaces, and hand washing can afford. Trusting God does not require poor judgement and reckless decision-making.

For a Biblical view of foolishness—of what may be defined as “a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion”—readers are referred to the Book of Proverbs. It has a lot to say on the matter. In this particular season when we are experiencing pressure from various directions and are susceptible to make rash decisions, it is worth taking time to read. It may provide a brake where a brake is much needed. Our God, the God of the Bible, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father, after all, is a God of wisdom. He urges us to be bold in proclaiming the gospel and ministering to the poor and the needy, not to be forward in displaying our witlessness.