4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus..
– Philippians 2:4-5, NRSV
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
– John 13:34-35, NRSV
“And now, for my daily reminders,” Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health, says each day. If, like our family, you’ve been watching the daily COVID press conferences on PCN, you’re probably able to recite her daily reminders by heart. But they’re worth repeating:
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds… or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbows and not with your hands.
Try not to touch your face, especially after touching surfaces.
Clean surfaces frequently.
If you are going out for life-sustaining activities, please wear a mask.
And as always, she continues: “Remember… my mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”
When we wear our face masks, our primary aim is not to protect ourselves. Our primary aim is to protect others. It is an act of protection, care, and concern for others. And at this moment, in this strange season, it seems like the simplest, most practical, most tangible way to live out the words of Paul and the words of Jesus in our scriptures for today. “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others,” Paul writes (Philippians 2:3, NRSV). “Love one another,” Jesus says, “just as I have loved you” (John 13:34, NRSV).
Love one another, friends. Love one another enough to wear a mask.
Friends, I invite you to repeat those words every time you don a mask. Love one another enough to wear a mask. I invite you to repeat those words, that you remember: what you are doing is holy. What you are doing is good. What you are doing… is just what Jesus told you to do.
What’s more, I invite you to help me get that word out. We’re starting another church-wide photo collage, and we need your help. We’re seeking photos of you, Wesley Church… photos of each of you wearing your masks. We’ll compile those photos with that same powerful reminder: Love one another enough to wear a mask.
Want to submit a photo? Follow the simple instructions below. Need a mask? Reach out by email and let us know. In the meantime, continue with the holy work of looking to the interests of others, of loving others, of… wearing a mask for the sake of others.
It’s one more way for us to bless others.
After all, friends:
Our God is bigger than coronavirus.
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too.
We are people blessing people.
We are Wesley Church.
Blessings,
Pastor Candy
Want to know more?
- Learn about our church and its ministries: https://wesleychurch.com/
- Make a gift to support our mission: https://wesleychurch.com/giving-2/
- View our recent messages: https://wesleychurch.com/sermon-message-on-video/
- View previous devotionals: https://wesleychurch.com/pastor-candys-devotionals-2/
