When Our Freedom Costs Others

I went grocery shopping yesterday during one of the busiest times of the day. I thought that it would be impossible to keep distance from people around me, so I decided to wear a mask. As it turned out, I was right. The store was packed. Manitoba has been doing so well with our COVID-19 case numbers that I’ve been a lot less worried about catching the virus. But as government regulations have started to loosen, it’s made me wonder if I should wear a mask more often while in public. I believe it reduces my risk of catching something, but more than that, it prevents me from transmitting my germs (corona contaminated or not) to anyone else. 

In Manitoba, we continue to have the freedom to choose when we wear a mask. However, some jurisdictions across the country have made masks mandatory in certain settings (like grocery stores or on public transit). Many have spoken out against these new rules, suggesting that they infringe on people’s freedom. Apart from masks, Manitoba has other regulations that the rest of the country doesn’t have. For a long time it was mandatory to quarantine for two weeks when entering the province. They lifted this regulation for those coming from Western Canada, but those coming from Eastern Canada still have to quarantine.

I’m keeping an eye on the travel restrictions because my family lives in Eastern Canada. Our baby, Clara, is three months old and none of them have been able to visit yet. That freedom was taken away, and I don’t know when my parents will finally be able to meet their first grandchild, or my brother’s meet their first niece.

It seems like everyone around the world has experienced restrictions and limitations because of COVID-19. Some of the freedoms that we often took for granted have been suspended in order to flatten the curve and protect us from the virus.

So what should our response be? Should we fight for our freedoms? Should we resist the authorities who ask us to wear masks, postpone travel, close up shop, and stay home? These restrictions on our personal freedoms are costing us all something. It’s meant the collapse of our economy. For me, it’s costing my family the chance to meet Clara. For others, it feels like they are losing their right to choose what they can and cannot wear on their face. 

Scripture invites us to not only think of our freedoms from an individual perspective, but to ask how our freedoms might impact the people around us. Believe it or not, the question of personal freedoms was quite familiar to the early Church, who had to discern what to do with a conflict regarding meat that was sacrificed to idols. We read about how Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 8. 

When you wanted to get some meat from the local market in a Roman city, it was very likely that the meat would have been sacrificed to idols before being sold. There were many gods at play in ancient Rome; sacrificing meat to them was common practice in order to appease them and receive good fortune. However, believers of the one true God (YAHWEH) felt very uncomfortable with this practice and would refuse to eat such meat. 

The conflict erupted in the early Church. Some Christians were okay with eating meat sacrificed to idols and some weren’t. Those who weren’t thought that it was a sin against God, because acknowledging a false idol would seem on par with idolatry itself. Those who did eat such meat believed they were free in Christ to do so because those idols weren’t God. They weren’t being idolatrous because lifeless statues didn’t miraculously change the meat to make it evil.

Paul, in his address to the Corinthian Church actually agrees with those who believe they have the freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols. There are no other gods, and food can’t even defile us in the first place. It’s just food. However, he doesn’t say that those who believe it’s wrong need to learn to realize their freedom. Instead he gives instruction to the sacrificed meat eaters:

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” - 1 Corinthians 8:9

Instead of asking what the suspension of freedoms costs those who feel like they are losing them, Paul acknowledges their rights but asks them to consider what their freedom costs others. He then sets an example for the Church. Because exercising his freedom to eat sacrificed meat would cause someone else to stumble in their faith, he relinquishes his rights and freedoms for their sake.

What a radical, upside-down view of what it means to be free. It encourages us to be outward focused, choosing to see others as more important than ourselves. Sure my family should be free to travel to see us. Sure I should be free to decide if I wear a mask or not. But what if our choice to travel or not wear a mask helps spread the virus to those who are more susceptible to its effects? What if our freedom costs someone their life?

Paul’s message to the Corinthian Church should be a reminder to us that we aren’t individual silos. We are called to act with the most vulnerable in mind. It’s true now, but it’s also true when we aren’t going through a pandemic. Loving our neighbour as ourselves requires sacrifice, which might sometimes mean giving up some freedoms for the sake of others.

I don’t believe that means that we should always do what someone else says without asking any questions. We need to take time to discern when and where it’s the right time to act for the sake of others or to stand up on behalf of others, especially in the West where we value personal freedoms so much. In some cases, the right thing to do might be to push back and resist.

However, during COVID-19, I believe we need to consider setting aside some of our freedoms for the sake of the most vulnerable among us, knowing that exercising our freedoms might cost them the most. That means that I will endure wearing a mask in crowded public spaces. It also means that my family will miss out on seeing Clara in person for now. It breaks my heart and I pray to God that this pandemic will be over soon. But it’s a price I’m willing to pay, knowing that the cost of doing otherwise could be much higher.