As the United States and various individual states start dropping pandemic-related mandates, I've realized it's going to take a lot of respect and understanding to genuinely interact with those around me. God has commanded us to love one another and while I think everyone can appreciate that commandment and generally agree with it in theory, it's not so easy to implement. And I'm not just talking about having indifference towards others. I'm talking about truly loving them and respecting them, despite what they do or what they say.
The Church leaders within my particular area sent out a memo last Sunday saying that masks were still strongly encouraged, but that none would be turned away if they chose not to wear one to Church services. My wife and I talked at length about what this statement had the potential to do within our local congregation. Would a group of people mandated to be unified suddenly be divided? Would judgment pass to those choosing not to wear a mask? And would they be viewed as less willing to follow counsel and/or less concerned about others' feelings of safety?
I fully admit that I've passed judgement the other way around. Because I believe a plethora of scientific studies that conclude that masks are an ineffective way to prevent covid transmission (particularly the types of masks being worn by the general public), I have a very hard time seeing people actively choosing to wear masks -- especially when they are finally given the long-awaited opportunity not to wear them. As I walked into my church service today and observed others coming in, I was hoping there'd be more people like me (choosing not to wear a mask). While this did not happen (there were only about 12 of us), there was a big struggle going on in my head as I tried soooo hard to have genuine respect and love for those choosing to wear a mask. I don't know how well I succeeded, but at least I was trying.
As I thought about how this all relates to Choir, it re-occurred to me how diverse the people making up the Choir really are. We have men and women with a very wide variety of careers. We have those who have a lot of musical background and some who have very little. We have introverts, extroverts, and personalities that are funny, serious, studious, and easy-going. We have those who identify as straight and those who identify as gay. And we have those who are single, who are married, and who are divorced.
The beauty of singing with such a diverse group of people though is that all of the differences actually enhance the unification goal we have. Because it's not easy, we have to work at it. And when you work hard at something, the payoff can be beautiful and incredible.
I guess the take-home message for me is that I need to keep working hard to respect those who believe differently than I do on this whole "time to ditch the mask" thing. Their beliefs in the power of wearing them are probably just as strong as my beliefs in not wearing them. And that's OK. The most important thing is to remember they are my brother or sister and my Christian beliefs demand that I love and respect them.
I'm embarrassed it's so hard for me. And like Nephi in the scriptures, I'm sad that the sin of judgment "doth so easily beset me." But I'm determined to keep trying. And that's gotta count for something.
Until next time, God be with you.
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