Living God’s Commandments during a Pandemic: Love Your Neighbor

How do we apply God’s commandments during a pandemic? The golden rule, which is at the heart of many religious teachings, remains applicable in these challenging times. This article explores how we can honor the commandments to love God and our neighbors during a pandemic.

The Commandments in the Pandemic

For example, consider the commandment to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. This aspect is not significantly affected by the pandemic. We can still practice faith, worship, and engage in religious activities online or in modified settings. The second part of the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves presents a unique challenge during a pandemic.

Practicing Love and Solidarity

One practical way to love our neighbors is by volunteering and serving. During the pandemic, I volunteered at a food bank, helped garden for Canadians who couldn’t travel to Florida for the winter, and am currently working at a garden center to assist people in obtaining seeds and plants for their families. Additionally, I am working on my own garden to grow enough food for myself with some leftovers for my neighbor or the food pantry, and I offer to work on neighbors' gardens.

Moreover, I make it a habit to pick up litter while walking and maintain a butterfly garden, which helps the environment. These actions reflect a commitment to neighborly love and community welfare.

Addressing Specific Commandments

Is the missing 's' in the commandments a typo, or is there one in particular you have in mind? While the pandemic has changed several aspects of our lives, it has certainly made time with family more significant. As for the 'thou shalt not kill' commandment, it is somewhat less relevant in this context. However, another commandment often brought up in discussions of faith and pandemics is Sunday observance, sometimes referred to as the Sabbath. Attending church on Sundays is one interpretation of this commandment, but for those who have given up such practices, the focus shifts to other elements of faith.

Jesus' Teaching on Love and Acceptance

I believe the sole commandment Jesus stated mattered most is to forgive our fellow man and learn to love and accept him unconditionally. By doing so, we can see God in him, and thus in ourselves, and truly hear the Holy Spirit. This approach leads to the discovery of the kingdom of heaven within and a desire to serve others, deriving joy from such service. It may require some meditation and mindfulness exercises, similar to the enlightenment path that Jesus followed.

It is important to note that focusing on a list of commandments, praying, or reading scriptures without understanding their deeper meanings, or pretending to believe in what is clearly false and irrational, is not the path to being close to God. God does not care about our behavior in the superficial sense. Instead, the true intention and love for your fellow human beings should be the guiding force.