For many people who are involved in some position of leadership be it your hockey team, your quilting group, your company or your country these days are fraught with challenge. As a minority of people in our province refuse to be vaccinated they are causing a major headache for the rest of us, the majority. We are facing this dilemma here at the church. Our tag line is, “Everyone Welcome. Come as you are.” But we are not sure that we want people who are not vaccinated. It is not because we want to exclude them. It is not because we are judging them. It is not because we are being arbitrary. It is because we have a large population of older and elderly people who are therefore, more vulnerable. Even by being doubly vaccinated we are discovering that we are vulnerable to the new strains of the virus.
Our Leadership Team has been wrestling with the Christian response to this situation. How do we, as a community faith, act with integrity in this time and situation?
I have thought a lot about respecting individual rights. Individualism is a long held Canadian value. But so is interdependence. We value individuals but we are a community of faith. A community. We often speak of family in the Christian context. Family! What does it mean to safeguard our family? Is my right as an individual more important that the rights of my parents and grandparents in the faith? I don’t think so.
How do we weigh the balance between individual rights and interdependence? I admit my personal bias is often on the side of community. If something is in question my go to response is most often, “What is best for the community, the larger group, the whole.” So I have to say that while I respect an individual’s right to choose, I do not believe that they have the right to risk the well being of the larger group. If that person is “drawing a line in the sand” then, I feel strongly that I must draw one too. If a person chooses, or is required, for whatever reason, to not have a vaccination then the consequences of that will be played out in how they interact with the larger community. Smokers can’t sit in the sanctuary and smoke. It impacts the health of others. Somehow this feels similar, but with Covid, the risks are even higher.
I am interested to know what you think.
I think you have an unintended double negative in the sixth last sentence. I should think you do not think the unvaccinated have a right to infect the community. In any case accommodating the unvaccinated gives added purpose to our producing virtual services. We can include them, but just not in person.
Thanks Stan. I fixed up that typo!
Beneficial for the greater good of all trumps any grievances.
I agree Sheila. And, as you know, we have our online service for people to stay connected that way.
Just had this discussion at our Session meeting at Trinity United in Annan. It is a difficult one for sure. Your thoughts are appreciated Nancy.
Hi Jill – it is a tough nut to crack. I should add that we continue to offer an on-line recorded service so people can continue to be with us through our online community.
Staying connected via various electronic means is the one positive aspect of the pandemic. People are able to share and receive but still feel safe and secure and, most of all, connected and involved. For me this celebrates the feeling of true community.