I was told by several people who are more famous and influential than me, that the most effective way to love my neighbor right now, is to wear a mask. I was also told that loving my neighbor means getting vaccinated.

With all due respect to the famousness of these Christian leaders, there is nothing in scripture to suggest that loving my neighbor is accomplished when I wear a mask. However, there is a passage in scripture that warns me not to follow the advice of Pharisees:

“They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ – Matthew 23:4

It is not hard to imagine Pharisees responding gleefully to the invitation to be interviewed on MSNBC. Only a fool believes the media exists to speak truth. News media preaches the secular gospel. They will allow Jesus name to be spoken so long as His words are used to support their politics. Jesus did say, “Love your neighbor.” So the Pharisees are put on camera to twist Christ’s words into something evil.

Before Jesus said, “love your neighbor,” He said, “Love God.” The order of those two commands is important. If you don’t love God, you are not able to love your neighbor. The task of loving God is nothing so simple as getting vaccinated. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that loving Him requires EVERYTHING from you. He demands you submit your will to Him.

It is incorrect that “wearing a mask” is sufficiently loving God. Again, if God required masks, it would be a commandment. I will ignore anyone who tells me that masks or vaccines are how I love my neighbor. The Bible describes love as costly and difficult. Love is what hung Jesus on the cross. It is outrageous to suggest that wearing a mask and dying are equally valid expressions of loving my neighbor.

Loving your neighbor is impossible unless you love God first. Strapping a mask on your face so the pagans will applaud you, is not loving God. Telling Christians they can properly love their neighbors by following government mandates is a horrendous distortion of the Golden Rule. Masks are not powerful enough to love anyone.