I can\u2019t speak for you, but I thought I had written the last Covid-related blog post here several weeks ago. I thought, perhaps naively, that we were breaking through the clouds and were on our way to a post-Covid world\u2014not that we were once again entering a time of rising cases, hospitalizations and more deaths.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve watched as pastors mourned the loss of church members, friends and family members. I\u2019ve seen countless friends post that they tested positive, and I\u2019ve prayed that they experience a mild case.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also seen anger and frustration on social media that seems to be outpacing what we saw during the worst moments of the pandemic in 2020. Even though I\u2019m not currently pastoring a local church, I feel for pastors who are once again navigating these sensitive topics.<\/p>\n
As our nation and world continue to wade through a myriad of issues related to the pandemic and politics, it seems there are landmines everywhere for pastors to navigate around. I hope to offer a bit of guidance that I learned, and to remind you of the one hope we have.<\/p>\n
1. Don\u2019t fall for distractions<\/strong><\/p>\n As I mentioned above, we are facing countless issues that are deeply dividing our nation and, sadly, even our churches: Masks. Vaccines. Afghanistan. Refugees. The border. Abortion funding. The climate. Each of these is important, but none of them is ultimate. I believe the Enemy would much rather have churches\u2014especially churches\u2014arguing over these issues than proclaiming the gospel. Don\u2019t fall for that trap. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus.<\/p>\n 2. Don\u2019t give into discouragement<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m saddened every time I hear from a pastor who is losing church members because their church took (or didn\u2019t take) a certain stance on masks or vaccines. It hurts to see pastors hurting when they lose folks to a church across town who resumed some activities faster than they (or their ministry leaders) felt comfortable with. Everywhere we look, it seems there are issues that can divide us. The reality is that some people may leave over decisions that you\u2019ve made that have nothing whatsoever to do with proclaiming the gospel. These struggles, while real, are temporary. If I could go back and tell myself one thing in 2020, it would be this point: Don\u2019t get discouraged over decisions that are made with folks\u2019 best interest at heart.<\/p>\n