Vaccine Unity or Disunity?
For the most obviously prophetic section of this teaching go to the heading Vaccine Unity below.
Introduction
A few weeks ago, an intercessor in the city sent me an email inquiring about my writings about vaccination. Her email was headed, “Vaccine Disunity”. Her deep concern was that the expanding Ezekiel Declaration movement was inspired by conspiracy theories and end-times speculation dividing the Church. She referred me to this Bible Society publication: https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/tim-costello-beware-the-ezekiel-declarations-sowing-seeds-of-vaccine-hesitancy/. Since then, I have received a variety of communications promoting the swelling support for the Declaration. An excerpt is included below. (Readers might also investigate the similar Moses Statement. https://caldronpool.com/mosesstatement/)
The Controversy
“We commend to you The Ezekiel Declaration, signed by over 2,500 pastors and church leaders in protest against ‘vaccination certificates’ (including ‘lockdowns’) because it: 1. Causes an unethical two-tiered society; 2. Burdens the population to the point of despair; 3. Violates individual conscience; 4. Makes no logical sense; and 5. Demands that churches refuse entry to a subgroup of society.” The letter ends with, “If you believe in freedom of conscience —Sign today!”
Responses to this position from outside and inside the Church have been noisy. Last weekend articles headed, “No protection in law for the idiocy of anti vaxxers.” And “’Liberty’ is a trivial pursuit if your loved ones are sick.”, appeared in our national newspaper. The latter, by a Catholic, elevated personal sacrifice for others above freedom of conscience.
Reasonable Debate
When lecturing on sin, my first point was that since its origin wasn’t in God it was not logical or ordered, but chaotic and unreasonable. One reason why folk on either side of this debate seem to have lost their peace in Christ is that they habitually assume people should, or even can, be rational. In the light of the cross, and much other teaching (Jer 17:9; Rom 1:18-32; Eph 4:17-18) this assumption is deeply unbiblical. Anyone who has pondered what is happening inside the mind of God as human in Christ (2 Cor 5:19) when he cried out in dereliction, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34), has been grasped by this dark reality of human stupidity. (I just have to remember my own history.) The depth of human folly is not primarily known by reason, but through revelation. A revelation, which when graciously received, imparts a depth of “meekness” in Christ (2 Cor 10:1) which makes the dogmatism, superiority or high mindedness flowing in this debate impossible. I paste a recent communication I received, • Please pray that God’s TRUTH and WISDOM will overcome all the lies, distortions and FEARS from satan. From where does the strength of conviction on both sides arise?
Conscience and Christ
At the level of the deepest heart what dominates human life is the desire to survive, whatever it takes. Whilst we mustn’t assume Christ ever had this longing (John 12:24-33), in Gethsemane in his taking “the cup” of divine wrath (Mark 14:36; Psalm 60:3; 75:8; Isa 51:17, 22; Jer 25:15; Obad 16; Rev 14:10) he abandoned even the desire to experience the glory of God in death. He accepted our hell, separation from the presence of God as Father. Our sure ability to judge what is the Lord’s will is proportional to how his blood has erased the desire for self-preservation from our conscience (Rev 12:11). This, rather than the pros or cons of vaccination, is the root problem that the Lord, the master of all circumstances, pandemics included (Rev 6:1, 8) is surfacing across the world of the Western Church. The Spirit is challenging our spiritual immaturity.
Vaccine Unity
As I was praying with some brothers the other day one asked for prayer for his midwife daughter, who stands to lose her job if/when the state government of WA makes vaccination compulsory for those in the health system. About this, on which the group had diverse opinions, the Spirit started to speak to me with brutal clarity. His “groaning” (Mark 8:12; John 11:33, 38; Rom 8:18ff) is over the fact that we Christians seem to fight over everything. Cathokics vs Protestants, Calvinists vs Arminians, Baptists vs paedobaptists, splits and slaughters in centuries past about the Lord’s Super and on and on. We need perspective, to be pro or anti vaxx isn’t of the essence of Christianity, it isn’t a matter of gospel truth with the status of heresy/orthodoxy!
The Lord is saying that under his sovereignty the global pandemic has opened up a “last chance” for the Body of Christ to live in harmony with each other through mutual embracing love (1 Pet 4:8) in the midst of radical differences. “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Col 3:14). How can the world believe that in the End Jesus will hold the universe together (Eph 1:10-11) if it cannot see him holding the Church together now! In the light of manifesting the glory the Father gave to Jesus for the Church’s unity so that the world might be saved (John 17:22-23), in itself the matter of vaccine passports is an infinitely small thing. We see our response to this issue amongst one another as training for the day when we will with Christ judge the whole universe of fallen creatures (Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:2; Rev 20:4)
Conclusion
In Australia at least the Lord has handed over the Church to intensifying marginalisation so that we might cling to one another in mutual need through love (1 Cor 12:14-26). Since to violate one’s conscience is to commit moral suicide (Rom 14:23) we need to “welcome one another but not for disputes over opinions” (Rom 14:1). I need to accept, whatever my belief is, that in the eyes of my brother/sister I am a person weak in faith. Which is exactly the opposite about how I judge myself; a very unwise matter (1 Cor 4:3). Let’s move past being judges of each other when we are told we will stand together at the Last Judgement (Rom 14:4). God is the End of all things (1 Cor 15:28) whether we like it or not! Instead of despairing by sight by faith we can see something great coming (2 Cor 5:7).
I see brothers and sisters of diverse perspective enjoying a rich and tremendous liberation together as they accept each other as Christ has accepted us in unconditional love (Eph 4:32-5:1). This can happen when we look exclusively to the ultimacy of the gospel. Don’t let the devil distract you. Remembering with thanks that your conscience is not God let the Spirit direct you to Jesus whom the Father takes infinitely seriously. This alone is our salvation.