Can we trust God if we do not trust each other? Because the God who became incarnate in the flesh and blood of Jesus is a God who works primarily through people, does it not follow that we have to put trust in one another?
Of course there are many people proven to be untrustworthy. We cannot be naïve and accept whatever someone else shares with us. We ourselves have had times when we were not trustworthy. Some of those times we knew we were not; some of those times we may have even fooled ourselves into thinking we were. This, of course, raises the question: “Can we trust ourselves?” After all, to trust another we must first have to trust our discernment ability. But be warned: if trust stops with oneself, we are like the lawyer who represents him/herself and therefore has a fool as a client.
I am thinking of the current dilemma regarding vaccinations. To be transparent, I have been fully vaccinated well over four months. I put my trust in science, medical personnel, my doctor, and, yes, even a government whose political and economic survival depends on a healthy nation. I trusted my judgement in examining the trustworthy claims of those calling for vaccinations. I used my judgement as an individual person as I turned to the arguments of medical and scientific authorities. I did not and do not trust politicians or social media with medical advice.
Trust is at the heart of this all. In less politically divided times, there was no controversy over polio, TB or smallpox vaccines. Science and medical personnel were trusted. Again, this is not a call for naiveté on the part of we lay people….that is, those of us who are neither scientists nor doctors. Thinking, asking questions are excellent partners in trust. Often trust is deepened when our questions are well answered.
Where might God be in all this? In Jesus we see God is a God of healing. Like you, I have heard some Christians they do not need a vaccine. All they needed was faith. God would take care of them. Are we unable to see something like a vaccine as God taking care of them? Why do some seem place more trust in COVID more than a vaccine? Why can’t we see God at work in helping us create and administer a vaccine?
As we look to God, we might say we have an unvaccinated God. That is, we have a God who has no safety nets, no measures of protection, to keep sinful people away and no protection for God’s self from the harm of hurt humanity’s sin can do to a God who cares and loves. In Jesus we see the one who healed, did not receive healing. Jesus’ wounds led to death. Yes, he was risen. The risen Jesus, however, still had wounds….apparently open wounds as Thomas was invited to put his fingers in them.
Among other things, what I see in those opposed to the COVID vaccine is bad theology. Their only trust is in themselves. For some this misplaced trust might be expanded to “Me and you, God.” That is not the God of the Bible nor the God of Jesus. God made a covenant with a nation, a community. God, in and through Jesus came for all the world. We as disciples, along with untold others, are gathered together under the vast umbrella of this God called the church. It is about me as a part of those others. It is about you as a part of these others. That too is part of the vaccination issue. Vaccinations are not primarily about me or you. They are about loved ones, they are about love of neighbor. They are about us all, including you and me.
Yes, there are risks in vaccines. Numbers tell us there is far greater risk minus a vaccine. We need to place our trust in God somewhere in this world, somewhere in some people of this world. To trust God is to be able to trust others. To trust in the Healer, we need to put a certain trust in those others who bring healing.
Let God go on as one unprotected. Let God continue to take the risk of being wounded by our sin. Let us trust, care, and protect one another.