GUIDANCE

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

In this passage from 1 Corinthians, Paul helps the Corinthian church discern what to do about eating meat offered to idols. On the one hand, idols aren’t real and have no power, so Christians shouldn’t care if the meat they eat was once offered as a sacrifice. On the other hand, some Christians might not understand that, and could take the action as somehow assigning power or meaning to that former sacrifice. What should the Christian do? 

Paul defers to the one whose life and faith might be destroyed by the act of eating meat offered to idols. You might know it has no power but someone else doesn’t. You don’t need to ask if the meat was offered to idols because you know it means nothing. But if someone tells you the meat was offered to idols, you should avoid the meat out of respect to the person who was concerned. All things are lawful – like eating the meat – but not all things are beneficial or will build up.  

I think about this guidance a lot these days as covid restrictions change rapidly. I am often confronted with the understanding that some things are lawful – like not wearing a mask – but not necessarily beneficial or something that will build up community. I know that many are still anxious about the continuing high community spread of covid. I know kids can’t be vaccinated yet, as well as many medically sensitive people. I know that it doesn’t matter if I wear a mask or not, as I’ve been vaccinated, but I know I can wear a mask. It costs me nothing. I chose to build up and encourage rather than insisting only on my own personal liberty.  

As our worship protocols become less restrictive, I hope you’ll find space in your hearts for this understanding. We’ll still ask for masks indoors, even though the mandate has been lifted. While we won’t require masks outside, we will ask for distancing to keep others as safe as we can for these last months of pandemic. Our worship and life schedules aren’t quite to full capacity as we remain cautious for the sake of our whole community. It won’t always be like this – but for now, we can do these small things as we seek not our own advantage, but that of the other.

Let us pray:

God, you have kept us safe through a difficult time. We grieve those who have lost health or life in this pandemic. Keep us focused on our neighbor’s needs as we begin the slow entry into a new normal. Make us gracious, patient, and loving, that in all things, we would honor you. Amen.