With increasingly restrictive social distancing orders being given by the government, many people are starting to feel the squeeze. We enjoy our personal freedoms and liberties to do things like go to the park, go to birthday parties, attend worship services, etc. It really feels oppressive to many of us to have to stay in our homes, with only an occasional quick trip to the grocery store or the pharmacy. So, it is not surprising that people have been looking for ways to get around the directives to stay home.
Some of the loopholes people have tried to exploit have been amusing, others have not. Since people can still walk their pets outside, one man put a leash on his goat to go on a stroll. As outdoor activities are okay (while maintaining a sizable distance from others), a large group of friends “accidentally” all met up together on a hiking trail. A church held a public worship service with over 1800 in attendance, believing that it was their constitutional right. It’s hard for people to stop doing what they want to do, even when they’ve been asked to sacrifice for the greater good.
What loopholes really do is reveal that we are not completely committed to our neighbors’ wellbeing. Sometimes us Christians also try to find loopholes so that we can continue to do what we want, rather than what God wants us to do. Yet, Jesus clearly calls us to be fully committed to God and His cause: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In this time of crisis, may we stop looking for loopholes and be fully committed to both our neighbors and to God!