Most United Methodists know Bishop Reuben Job’s paraphrase of Wesley’s General Rules: do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. Many times people stumble over the fact that Wesley put “do no harm” first. Shouldn’t you just jump to doing good?

I think this coronavirus has offered us an opportunity to see how “do no harm” comes first. One of the best ways to do no harm these days is to practice social distancing, to shelter in place, and to be considerate of others at the grocery store or out on the street by keeping a distance. 

Do no harm is the stage we’re still in as a church. It seems like every couple of days I have to choose between doing no harm and allowing people to do good. I have to remind people that they can’t hold their usual food programs because it’s not safe for them to prepare the food and they can’t keep social distance as they do, much less as they hand it out. 

I have to say no to weddings in churches. And that’s for heterosexual people! I have to tell clergy and churches alike that you put yourselves and others at risk by trying to produce worship services in sanctuaries with others present, musicians or technicians. I still hear reports that some clergy are handing out communion without practicing any form of social distancing and others are wanting to call on parishioners door to door. 

Doing no harm means we can’t do the things we’re called to do: provide the services of the church in Jesus’ name! Yes, it goes against our grain! But we’re in the stage of doing no harm…no exceptions! We’ve got to flatten the curve and we do that by doing no harm!

And then we’ll be able to do good again. We’ll be able to provide ministry to those in need, care in a more personal way, and the sacraments of the church. I can’t wait for the day we’re able to do good again in relation to some of these services of the church! But as the governor of California said, “There’s no light switch here,” meaning all of a sudden we’re back doing what we used to do. “It’s more like a dimmer switch,” meaning that it will be gradual and perhaps different in various places. I pray that this time of doing no harm will increase our desire, creativity, and energy to do good when we can!

The third rule is to stay in love with God. Which means we use this time to grow in our spiritual practices and love for God and one another. Doesn’t it seem like many things that irked and divided us all seem so “pre-coronavirus”? I don’t mean that we don’t have differences any more but I do hope that we’ll stay in love with God by putting the preciousness of life in perspective in all that we do and say.

Another thing!

This week is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! April 22, 1970, was the first Earth Day. Ten percent of the U.S. population took to the streets that day to call for cleaner air, water, and the care for endangered species. Over the years there have been times when air, water, and care for species have improved and then times, such as we are in now when things have gotten worse. 

But during this pandemic, drastic improvements in air and water, in particular, have been seen in this short time as we have been sheltering-in-place. China first experienced a huge difference in air quality over the couple of months that they were sheltering in place. People in Los Angeles can see blue skies up above. Cities, such as Chicago, have lower air pollution, and even (to my eyes) less litter. 

Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a silver lining in a terrible pandemic and it’s definitely not a sustainable way to care for the Earth. But I do think it could sustain some hope and motivation to care for our planet. Many of us have gotten rather discouraged that anything could be done. That it’s too late. But now we have a glimpse that in fact, the Earth is amazing: it has the capacity to recover, repair and heal at least to a certain extent with a little help from us!

A Hopeful Earth—my niece Sarah hated the title! And in the over 10 years since we wrote this book together about Jesus and the environment, I actually see a glimmer of hope for the Earth!

While you continue to do no harm by sheltering in place, contemplate what you and maybe we as a nation can do so that along with us in this pandemic, the Earth can be safe and healthy for us and for generations to come. 

Happy Earth Day!

~Bishop Sally Dyck

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