Written by Andrew W. Coy |
Saturday, September 25, 2021
If the virus is to find us, let it find us being Americans and not trolls of a dystopian authoritative regime.  Let it find us singing in the church choir, going to Sunday school, or sitting in our normal pew at church.  Let it find us at the kids’ ballgames, attending the school spelling bee, at cheerleading practice, filling up the tank with gas, or having the grandchildren spending the night.  Let it find us.

It is becoming so painfully clear that those in charge of our lives either do not know what they are doing or are lying to us when it comes to COVID.  There is really no question that those in authority are just lying to us or are simply guessing when it comes to masking, social distancing, the vaccine, and the variances to come.  It is scary, almost dystopian, that those we have allowed to have authority over our health lives have been so wrong or so dishonest when it comes to the effectiveness of the vaccine.  Big Tech along with major corporate companies have aligned with Biden, Fauci, the CDC, and the Deep State in acting as if they know, but in reality, they are very wrong or very untruthful when it comes to the China virus.  They won’t even admit that it probably came from China.  Wonder why?
Whether because we are being lied to or those in power are inept, Americans are increasingly filled with COVID dread.  When we have first-graders wearing masks, motorcycle riders without helmets but wearing masks — when people driving by themselves in a car are wearing a mask, when family members refuse to invite other family members to family picnics because of vaccination demands — we are not living right.  When major companies demand higher premiums from their employees for health insurance because they have refused a questionable vaccine, this is not who America is or what it stands for.
Concerns are legitimate, but we must stop living in fear.  Being careful is appropriate, but we should no longer allow this virus to determine our every move or dominate our thoughts.  We must claim our lives back.
The great C.S. Lewis wrote about living our lives in 1948.  Although Lewis was writing about the Atomic Bomb Age and London, the events and fears are similar.  Lewis encouraged the British to live their lives fully, even under the threat of nuclear annihilation.  We in America must do the same today with regard to the virus.
Let it find us.  If the virus finds us, let it find us living our lives.  Let it find us raising our children.  Let it find us working hard and playing harder.  Let it find us living and not cowering.  Let it find us shouting from the rooftops, not cowering in the corner.  Let it find us at a fully attended family reunion.  
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We’ve all seen it. Two believers squaring off to contend for their position or politics. The forum might be Twitter, a small group, a coffee shop or maybe a Sunday meeting. But the atmosphere remains the same. Language is charged, listening is poor and learning is, well,…learning is running late and stopped by the pub for a brew. Yep, just a couple of Jesus-followers setting aside a whole lotta Scripture for the privilege of owning each other in a conversation.
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking of someone you know. Maybe they would read it and think of you.
I can relate. I find it difficult blending justice and mercy. It’s much easier for me to go hard at one or the other. This is a justice issue; this is a mercy moment. In my quest for simplicity and clarity, I reach for Solomon’s sword to divide the baby, so I can deal with them separately. But the funny thing about justice and mercy is, they go together. And what God has joined together, let no man separate.
What The Lord Requires
“What does the Lord require of us? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8). Here justice, mercy and humility are all introduced as the Lord’s requirement. Picking and choosing our preference is not presented as an option. We are not afforded the luxury of saying, “Mercy seems nice, but I’m more of a justice-guy.” Likewise, our vision of humility must have teeth; it must be willing to boldly blow the whistle and call evil to account.
Why go through the mental gymnastics of stretching to apply all three?  Simple. It’s what the Lord requires of us.
If you’re anything like me, you were born with the justice-chip already installed. Batman and Superman were my first TV shows. (Truth, justice and the American way! Amen, preach it superman!) I went to college for Criminology and never, ever changed my major. Not once. From there I was off to the Police Academy where, upon graduation, I accepted a role to lead a private security department in a high-end retail store. Let justice roll down!
Justice I knew. Mercy? Not so much.
Where Justice and Mercy Kiss
In the years to follow, here’s what I learned. Mercy addresses how God relates to us as “sinners.” It describes his disposition of kindness, patience, and forgiveness toward us even when we don’t deserve it. God’s mercy is eloquently illustrated when the Psalmist says, ​​”He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” (Ps. 103: 10)
Mercy is God’s perfect love extended into the lives of imperfect humans. God’s mercy covers us, and then in turn, we cover others with mercy. Mercy endures, it is long-suffering, it pardons rather than punishes. Mercy, justice, and humility walk hand-in-hand. When justice is what we deserve, mercy pardons. And the whole enterprise is powered by humility.
From where do we draw such an audacious idea of a person fully integrating justice and mercy?

God is a community of three persons and invites us into His divine community to enjoy friendship and fellowship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:1–6, 15–18, 23–24). No amount of marriage, family, church, or friendships will substitute for the fundamental loneliness we will experience if we try to live apart from God. A large part of the Christian hope is that we will live forever in a perfect heavenly community (Rev. 7:9–17).

In May 2023, the United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared a “loneliness epidemic” and announced a “National Strategy to Advance Social Connection” to address this epidemic of loneliness and isolation. In an article for the New York Times, Murthy revealed not only his own experience with loneliness, but the sad statistic that at any one moment, 50 percent of the population are experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.
As expected, this loneliness epidemic affects the old, with 40 percent of nursing home residents having had no visitor in the past year. But it also affects the middle-aged, as evidenced in The Boston Globe headline: “The biggest threat facing middle-age men isn’t smoking or obesity. It’s loneliness.” Perhaps surprisingly, isolation and disconnectedness affect the young the most, with USA Today warning that young people report more loneliness than the elderly. Why is community so important and the lack of it so damaging?
We need community for physical health.
Studies consistently show an increased risk of death when people have few social relationships, especially if they are of low quality. Dr. Murthy revealed statistics showing that social isolation increases the risk for premature mortality by 29 percent. The risk of heart disease increases by 29 percent, strokes by 32 percent, and dementia by 50 percent. The overall increased mortality risk is comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Positively, those who have a large network of friends outlive those with the fewest friends by 22 percent. A survey of three long-living people groups found that the top two things they had in common were “put family first” and “keep socially engaged.”
Some studies have shown that those who attend religious services at least once a week have a 25 percent higher life expectancy than those who don’t. Victor Zeines, author of Living a Longer Life, said that’s “probably because church attendance increases social support, a proven life-extender.”
We need community for mental health.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, loneliness increased, resulting in devastating mental health consequences. Young people suffered the most with significantly increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Adults who report feeling lonely often are more than twice as likely to develop depression as adults who report rarely or never feeling lonely.
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