Epiphany

January 14, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’ But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Amid a pandemic that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people, some are outraged that the government should ever suggest that we must do anything to stem the virus’s spread. These people are saying that their choice is more important than your life or mine or theirs as far as that is concerned. Wearing a mask to reduce the spread of a virus should not even be considered as being patriotic compared to our ancestors’ actions who fought for freedoms we so carelessly apply.

I really do not know where to take these thoughts. We demand our rights to not wear a mask and worship in large groups. Both are top sources of virus spread in our country. Recklessly, needlessly causing thousands of people’s deaths every day to protect one’s personal rights borders on genocide.

Paul states it well, ‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we let our privileges take the place of your values. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.