Letter to the Editor

Indiana Jones and the Idol of Personal Safety

Dear [local paper],

I am a labor and employment law attorney, living in [city].  For the past six years, I have worshiped at [local church] and taught at [local university].  The below thoughts are mine alone, of course.

The past six weeks have been “unprecedented,” to say the least.  Day after day, I have counseled my clients on how to lay off, furlough, and reduce.  Church services have been shut down, replaced by pre-recorded video (a poor substitute).  College classes have also been shut down, replaced by online learning (also a poor substitute).   After six weeks, I am growing to feel that our current lives, stripped of the freedom to fully work, and worship, and learn, are also a poor substitute.

COVID is a serious disease, and it is wise to take precautions.  Nonetheless, it is important to remember that people died before COVID, people are dying during COVID (both from COVID and other causes), and people will die after COVID.  We all have our own date with death.  Every death is a tragedy, a reminder that the world is broken.  Every death produces a longing for something beyond the physical earth that we know today.  The most important question is not, when will we die?  Or, what will be the means of our death?  The most important question is, who will we serve while we are still living?

I am writing to warn against serving the false idol of personal safety, the false ideology of safetyism.  In the throws of corona-panic, are we elevating safety to a place where it does not belong?

Government is a good gift from God.  We rely on our political leaders to provide for the safety and security of the community.  At the same time, we know that our political leaders are human beings.  They make mistakes.  They are corrupt, or at least corruptible.  We know that, for every time we look to government for security, we must give up some of our precious freedom, which is also a gift from God.  When we elevate personal safety as the highest value, the trade off becomes too high.  Government becomes too powerful.

Medicine is also a good gift from God.  We rely on medical experts to treat disease and relieve suffering.  At the same time, our experts are also human beings who make mistakes, who have tunnel vision from time to time.  Some treatments are more costly than others.  Again, when we elevate personal safety as the highest value, the trade off becomes too high.  Doctors assume powers they are not qualified to wield.

I am calling on our community to consider:  What is the value of worshiping together?  What is the value of working to support our families, rather than relying on government handouts?  What is the value of visiting and hugging or at least shaking hands with our dear friends and relatives?  What is the value of students learning together, in real life?  What is the value of celebrating birthdays at [local restaurant]?

I fear our society is way out of balance.  We need to realize that there is no ultimate safety in this world.  We need to take up our lives again with wisdom, and with courage.  We need to resume free worship of the only One who holds the future.

Respectfully submitted –

Laura

[I encourage you to adapt the above and send to your local paper.  I will let you know if this letter gets published.]