The rights of Christians in the age of COVID

What does the Christ call his Christians to do with their God-given rights?

Give them up.

Why? How?

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another" (Letter to the Galatians 3:13-15).

The Christ set us free to do with our rights as he did with his rights.

He gave them away. He gave them up. In love.

The example and teaching of our Christ makes five things clear:

First, our rights are gifts from God. Governments do not give rights. Governments cannot take them away.

Second, the rights God gives are gracious gifts of love. God gives them to us before we do one thing to earn them.

Third, giving us our rights costs God his own rights. In giving us free will, God gives up the right to make us do, feel, and think what he wishes we would do, feel, and think. Giving us the right to live and run the planet as we wish made things very hard for God. So hard that the only way for him to be faithful and true to the world he so loved was to give up his right to his own Son. His Son, with the Spirit of his Father in him, gave up the right to his own life. Our rights cost God the rights that he held most dear.

Fourth, when we become aware that God gave up his own rights to give us our rights, the right response is humble and meek gratitude.

Fifth, the right way to show our gratitude to God is to do as God did. That is, to give away our own rights with the same kind of love that God showed us.

What does that look like when we do it in the real world?

We love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

How?

The same ancient Christian teacher who wrote a letter to the Galatian Christians also wrote a letter to the Roman Christians. Here is what he said:

We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. For Christ did not please himself…“ (Letter to the Romans 15:1-3a).

How do we love our neighbors as ourselves?

We please our neighbors. We build up our neighbors.

If we have a strong sense of our own privileges and rights, we follow the example of our Christ and give those privileges and rights away for others.

This is not only what we do to follow the example and teachings of our Christ, it is what we do to testify to the world that our Christ is among us.

When the world sees Christians humbly, meekly, and quietly laying down their rights on behalf of others, the world sees the Spirit of the Christ alive and at work in us.

What do you think all of this means for Christians and the Christian church in the age of COVID?

Think about it.

Grace and peace.