The Biblical Argument for Masks

Needless to say, 2020 will go down in history as a tumultuous year. Not least here in the United States. But for the moment I would like to speak to one particular area on which I as a Christian have been rather disheartened, and how it relates to a much larger issue plaguing the American church.

Since late last year, the COVID-19 outbreak has grown to pandemic proportions and spread all over the globe. Aside from good hygiene and social distancing, one of the most basic precautions one can take against spreading the deadly virus is to wear a mask in the presence of those outside your home. However, in the US the practice quickly became politicized by our leaders, leading to widespread resistance to mask-wearing. Because a majority of anti-maskers are politically conservative, the religious right has largely embraced this rhetoric. However, as Christians we are called to look above the political noise as servants of truth. Lest we forget, when Pilate asked Jesus about His agenda against the empire, He responded “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). And so as exiles making our way through Babylon (a place that is not our home) it's worth asking what our principles, rooted in the Word of God, say more so than our political alignment. And it turns out, if you do, the answer may surprise you. Here are just a few Biblical reasons to wear a mask in a pandemic.

Matthew 22:39 – To Love Your Neighbor. When asked by the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded with two, which in practice are really one in the same. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “...You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Wearing a mask doesn't offer any protection for yourself, but it does protect those around you; your neighbors. One common counterargument against wearing masks is that they are too uncomfortable. But our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church are giving their lives to obey this command. At a certain point one must honestly ask: is discomfort too high a price to pay to do the same? And if you truly do find it uncomfortable, then by doing so you are only demonstrating the love of Jesus, who suffered greatly to love us. Christ's love is inherently sacrificial, and we are called to love likewise.

Romans 13:1-2 – To Respect Authorities. In my experience, passages like this tend to be invoked when convenient for our own purposes, and ignored when inconvenient. Since I'm invoking it now, I'm probably bound to be guilty of that myself at some point. But God's Word is not relativistic. We can't just sweep these commands under the rug. In multiple books throughout scripture this same point is reiterated; clearly stating that we are to submit ourselves to our governing authorities, except where submission would knowingly violate God's commands (see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel). But without some serious theological acrobatics, you can't reason that the very act of mask wearing is ungodly. So if your local government asks you to wear a mask in public, then to obey would be, according to the Apostle Paul, akin to obeying God.

1 Corinthians 8:13; 9:19-22 – To Sacrifice Your Freedom for the Gospel. I know evangelicals value their personal freedom and all, but the Bible actually prescribes an entire lifestyle revolving around self-denial, so... Oops I guess. But in all seriousness, the objection to masks based on infringement of freedom is not one that jives well with sound philosophy of law nor Biblical teachings. In the case of the former we already agree it's good to have laws limiting our freedoms for the protection of others, such as the crimes of driving under the influence or assault. And in the case of the latter, our freedom of choice is simply not prioritized in scripture. In fact quite the opposite. Recall again Christ's inherently sacrificial love. Consider also the way scripture constantly portrays our freedom and will as leading to sin, death, and destruction. The author of Judges doesn't say “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” with approval (Judges 17:6). Hence why Jesus said “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). As the Apostle Paul wrote in those passages from 1 Corinthians, wherever we can give of ourselves for the sake of others, we should. Because doing so advances the gospel to those around us by proving the fruits of the Spirit. Let us also look at Philippians 2:3-4...

So ultimately, there are countless Biblical reasons to wear masks in public when a pandemic threatens your neighbor. If you would deny that for this brief period where it's necessary, solely for the sake of your own comfort and freedom, then it may be worth doing some heart searching to discern whether you're trying to obey the Word of God or trying to conform to party and political idolatry. I'm hardly the first to point this out, but we have it on clear Biblical authority that when the preservation of human life and the flourishing of human choice are put into conflict, we are to choose life every time. And I suppose that's what disappoints me most. I still believe in the Imago Dei. I believe that all humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and therefore of infinite value and worth, from the womb to the tomb. The only incentive to wear a mask is that you may unknowingly save lives. But it seems that reason is no longer good enough. And that breaks my heart.