A man wearing a mask was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers wearing masks. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he put on a mask and passed by on the other side.

So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, put on a mask and passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled with neither mask nor hand sanitizer, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denari and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

Obviously, the priest and Levite.

Primitive Christians thought loving your neighbor required involvement in your neighbor’s life. The modern, enlightened understanding of love is not as reckless and inconvenient!

Your mask testifies to the condition of your heart. You proclaim your love for mankind every time you wrap a piece of cloth over your face. Without uttering a word, your unmasked mouth tells your neighbor, “I hate you.”

Whenever a neighbor dies, your mask tells the world it wasn’t your fault.

Talk is cheap. Anyone can say, “I love you,” but are you willing to SHOW your love by donning a mask and staying away from your neighbor? Will you love as the priest and Levite did?

Wearing a mask is not asking too much! Christianity used to be risky. It required you to sacrifice your time, energy, and resources for the sake of your neighbor. A mask lets you take credit for loving lepers without assisting them.

Your mask makes you a hero. You’ll never know which of your neighbors are alive today because you wear a mask. So, go ahead and assume it’s all of them. Every living person in your vicinity owes you a thank you!

Throughout history, religious people have believed that beads, baubles, robes, hats, and other pieces of clothing possess magical powers. Your mask is imbued with righteousness. Wearing it gets you closer to god.

Dear Neighbor: whether you’re naked, cold, hungry, or in prison, I’m wearing this mask for you!

If you’re going to tell me to wear a mask to protect my neighbor, then I’m going to ask you why we’re stopping at masks.

Why don’t we live in isolation pods hooked up to feeding tubes? It will save lives. Masks help, but our neighbors are still dying. The most loving thing we can do is remove ourselves from civilization entirely. If you’re not going to go that far, then you’re just as unloving as I am. At least I’m admitting it.