Romans 14:1-7

To mask or not to mask?  That has become the question of the day for many people in the United States.  How this turned into a political issue rather than a public health issue still confounds me.  I read about a grocery store employee verbally assaulted for asking someone to put on a mask.  I see on the nightly news a video of a man in Dollar Tree wiping his nose on an employee’s shirt when asked to wear a mask.  I see images of a shopper at a Trader Joe’s throwing a tantrum when asked to wear a mask, throwing down her shopping basket and shouting, “You’re democratic pigs, all of you!”  And I read about an employee at a Family Dollar store being shot after telling a woman that her daughter had to wear a mask to enter the store.  I just don’t understand it.  So I decided to do some research to try to figure it out. 

For some people, the issue of wearing a mask is seen as a sign of weakness.  It’s like admitting that you are afraid you could catch COVID-19 because you’re not strong enough or healthy enough to fight it off. 

For other people, being asked to wear a mask is taking away a person’s individual liberty.  When overturning a Harris County mandatory mask order, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that people “have every right to control their own path.”

Some people refuse to wear a mask because they don’t trust the medical experts or government officials who are telling them that it can protect them and others from spreading the virus.  Kile Spelz, 39, says, “I don’t trust anything, and I question everything … I’m not going to overreact to something that hasn’t been proven.  I think it’s more of a scare tactic to continue to push people to see what they’re willing to trade as far as their liberty.  I think it’s an extra layer of control or influence from the government.”

There are those who see some kind of conspiracy at work.  To what end, I am not sure, but they seem to believe that the whole coronavirus thing is a big hoax.  A woman in Florida said, “What you say is the political dogma that they’re trying to shove down our throats … and it’s disgusting.”  There is something called the “plan-demic” conspiracy theory, where supposedly the Democrats made up the whole thing to somehow take down the president.  And others are convinced that this is a Constitutional issue.  A woman in Palm Beach, Florida stated, “You’re removing our freedoms and stomping on our constitutional rights by these communist dictatorship orders or laws you want to mandate.”

And then there are those who say that they can’t breathe while wearing a mask.  A man in Florida told a reporter, “I don’t wear a mask for the same reason I don’t wear underwear: things gotta breathe.”

For those who do choose to wear a mask, 74% of them do it to protect themselves and others.  Brent Taylor, 32, always wears a mask when out in public.  And yet, in Texas, that makes him a target.  He was shopping in Home Depot with his mask on when someone offered to pray for him.  He says, “It’s very disconcerting and very disheartening to see people get aggressive and political on this issue.  I’m frustrated with people who are becoming hostile about it. It only takes one person to infect someone.”  And Cathy Power, 51, commented, “We are all in this together.  I get it – it’s not comfortable … But it is worth it if you help someone, and it makes a big difference for vulnerable populations.”

The truth is, according to the CDC and most health experts, mask wearing is the single most important thing we can do to stop the spread of the pandemic.  COVID-19 is spread mainly by someone inhaling the virus expelled by another person.  If 50% of the people wore masks, transmission rates would be cut in half.  If 80% of the people wore masks that were even 50% effective, it would reduce the death rate by 17-45% in two months.  And if everyone wore masks, the pandemic could be brought under control.

While I can understand somewhat people’s dislike of being told what to do, it seems to me that the most important factor in the mask debate isn’t what makes you happy or comfortable; it’s what will keep the virus from spreading so that we can get rid of it in our country.  It’s not about my personal preference; it’s about protecting my fellow citizens from me possibly spreading the virus to them.  It’s about having compassion for your community rather than being concerned about your own comfort.

That is what Paul was talking about in his letter to the Romans in the passage I read a few moments ago.  There were some divisions in the church over some practices that people couldn’t agree on.  Some people felt that it was wrong to eat meat, and others felt that it was fine to eat meat.  The issue here wasn’t whether or not to be a vegetarian; the issue was you didn’t know where the meat in the market had come from.  There were ongoing animal sacrifices being made to Roman gods in various temples, and only part of the meat was used for the sacrifice.  The rest of the meat was sold in the markets.  That meant that a Christian could end up eating meat that had been part of a pagan sacrifice.  Since no one knew whether the meat had or had not been part of those sacrifices, some Christians felt that it was better to not eat any meat at all.

Another controversy had arisen over whether or not certain days were sacred.  This probably was a difference of opinion between Jewish converts to Christianity and Gentile converts.  Jewish converts would have insisted on observing Jewish holy days, including the Sabbath, but also other festivals.  Gentile Christians would have no reason to see those days as special, and so would have not celebrated them. 

Paul’s point to the church in Rome was that these differences were not as important as maintaining unity in the church and showing care for one another.  If your practices were causing hard feelings and quarrels, then it was better to leave them off.  It was important to show concern for those whose faith was weaker, and not to insist on their own way at the expense of the common good.

Americans have somehow lost a sense of the common good.  We are such an individualistic people.  It’s all about my personal rights, not about what is good for all of us.  We are more worried about having to compromise our own beliefs, or make ourselves uncomfortable, than we are about saving each other’s lives.  Other cultures are not like that.  They put the good of the greater society ahead of their own individual rights or preferences.  That is particularly true in Asian countries, where there has been no debate whatsoever about wearing masks.  People value the common good more than they value their own individual well-being.  And so they make sacrifices.

I am so disappointed in our country in so many ways.  I hate seeing the deep political divide that is so entrenched in our society.  I am so angry at the rhetoric that has become acceptable.  I am so frustrated at the lack of willingness to discuss and debate and compromise in order to address the very real issues – including the pandemic – that are facing us.  And I am heartbroken at the way that issues – including whether or not to mask – have divided families, including my own.

What is the answer?  I think we need to re-learn how to put the needs of others ahead of our own.  I think we need to remember the Golden Rule:  Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.  I think we need to rekindle the communal spirit that has, at times, been strong in America.  And I think we need to reclaim Christian compassion and hospitality as the core of our faith and practice.  In that way, perhaps we can solve the mask issue, and other issues, in ways that bring about peace and health and hope.