It goes beyond the smile for the passersby, those who vanish in a moment and aren't given a second thought. In a church gathering you'd expect love to abound, a lot of thought given for one another's well-being. After all, Jesus did say that outsiders would know us by our love for one another. Masking is love in action.
Some are leaving their church because they no longer feel loved and cared for and have found a church where the protocols are no less than at their local grocery store. Some are wanting to be with their church family but feel marginalized because of the priority given to non-maskers.
The Bible warns about preferential treatment, for if a non-masker comes into the assembly and is directed toward the choicest seats, but one who is vulnerable and wearing a mask comes in and is told to go sit away in the corner if they don't feel comfortable around the non-masker, have there not distinctions been made among yourselves? (James 2:1-4) This is not the way of a loving church family.
We who love to learn the ways of Jesus as we gather need to be doers of the Word that we hear, more sincere and communicative with our actions that make known our love for one another. We're a somewhat cerebral group. We get it. But it's rather telling when some of us feel more cared for by our local Publix than our local church.
As for myself, I'd rather receive the blessing of the mask than the hypocritical smile.
"By this all people will know that you are My disciple: if you have love for one another." - Jesus, John 13:35
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