The church’s narrative right now with respect to the government’s overreach is that we are to “Love Our Neighbor.”  I agree that is the second most important of God’s commands.

So I love the ~60,000 that might die from this (or something else, anyway) this season.  How about the:

1. 47 million people who lose their jobs because of government mandated lockdowns
2. Countless small businesses who will have to close up their family owned and operated shop because of loss of sustainable clientele and revenue, coupled with ongoing expenses on a business that for all practical purposes does not exist right now, or the ones who will be forced to lay off many from their workforce in order to even keep their heads above water (once the businesses use up their eight weeks of government handouts)
3. Many, many people who have had to postpone “elective” surgeries: for example, one woman I know at my church whose jaw bone loosened and is losing her teeth after chemo now has to wait for her oral surgery (will it be too late?); or the woman I know who is living with debilitating pain in her shoulder after the surgery she had prepared months for (including weaning off multiple medications in anticipation of the date) who now is flinching her way through every day.  I know there are many more stories like this out there.
4. Scared-to-death non-believers who have no idea where to turn in their panic, who can physically walk into a hospital for their physical needs, but who cannot find a single church building open for their spiritual and eternal needs.  There are plenty who will die before this “crisis” lets up.
5. Uncountable members of an older generation, who have seen their nest egg wiped out, ready for retirement, but now are neither able to retire, nor work!
6. Millions of people struggling with loneliness in this time (health issues that causes: increased inflammation, depression, cognition/dementia risk, psychological stress from loss of purpose and meaning)
7. The millions of children who will have missed out on things that mark important childhood events: graduation ceremonies, birthday parties, proms, camps, learning opportunities, etc.
8. The many, many people who have been buried (from deaths of all sorts, not just covid-19) whose families are not able to be present at funeral services.
9. Generations behind us that have to pay $7 trillion (maybe more?) in debt
10. Ones who end up homeless and hungry once government handouts dry up, causing further hospitalizations and deaths from something completely avoidable
11. Thousands of people who were to hear the gospel through ministry outreach events that were scheduled during this lockdown period (I believe in God’s sovereignty.  However, hearing the Gospel sooner rather than later seems preferable, if it’s possible)
12. Victims of people who give in to the stress of lost jobs and turn to violence (several stories of people who have murdered spouses, and then committed suicide because of lost job stress)
13. Ones who are victims of domestic abuse, which has shown an estimated 20% escalation during the panic
14. Neighbors who panic-stricken keep everyone at least six feet away, and now view other people with suspicion and paranoia
15. Elderly who may only have a few weeks or months left anyway, and who are now deprived of most human interaction during that time
16. Society who has learned that aborting babies is an essential service, but church is not.
17. Pastors across America who will have to be let go, as churches lose tithes and offerings.
18. Millions of people worldwide who will die from starvation because America will not have the means to send support as we have been doing up to now
19. Other countries following our example and harming their people even further, causing more to die because of lack of money and food
20. Ones who died for our freedoms and those who dedicated their life to creating a free society, whose memories we stomp upon as we willingly allow ourselves to be enslaved to the whims of politicians whose main priority has always been to get reelected. “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

How is it loving to the vast majority of my neighbors to continue this outrageous assault on our country?  How is it loving to the world to continue to allow politicians and media to manipulate society based on a limited and false narrative?  How is it loving to not do all we can to point out that the direction we are heading leads to ruin and dependence?  How is it loving to abolish for future generations the legacy of self-responsibility and self-sufficiency that we have inherited? How is it loving to allow decisions made on the basis of false projections (lockdowns because of 1.5-2 mill dead) to continue when the projections have been updated based on more data (100-200k dead, lockdowns still in place, and in fact, more lockdowns ordered; 60,000, and now facemasks required, visiting family prohibited)?  How is it loving to sit back and see our society destroyed because of panic and knee-jerk reactions by world leaders, and complacency in the church (“God will take care of us; don’t fear.  Sit at home and do nothing.”)?

Respectfully asked.