Months ago I began having a new kind of nightmare. The theme of these dreams is always the same, even though the details vary. Recently it was a horrifying car ride with a former work supervisor. Another time I recall trying to fight my way out of an unwanted hug. Maybe it’s little more than an absent-minded handshake, or an unexpected slap on the back, but each nightmare leaves me feeling the exact same way when it’s over:

Afraid…and full of remorse.

The reason my aforementioned dream so easily reached “nightmare” status, has nothing to do with the character or personality of my old boss. Rather, it’s that neither of us wore face-coverings in that car, and I didn’t realize it until after we’d parked! Nor is it that I have haphephobia (fear of hugs) which makes certain dreams so chilling nowadays. Rather, it’s when I’m being hugged by someone from a different household! Handshakes and backslaps aren’t usually too alarming…until they’re done with un-sanitized hands! I can hardly sleep lately…

I’m Not Alone…

I’ve confided in a few others about this issue, and realized that I’m not alone. Some of you are experiencing these same types of dreams, and I think I know why: Our brains have been so flooded with COVID warnings that we can’t stop thinking about them. The fear of violating these guidelines is so pervasive while we’re awake that we can no longer escape them by falling asleep.

Dreams like these are an uncomfortable byproduct of being deeply concerned…as we should be! Who (in their right mind) would want to be sent away from their friends on account of their own negligence? We’re living in a time when truancy reveals something about the heart. I, for one, don’t want to be missing church right now all because I won’t deny myself the pleasure of indiscriminate hugging. Our attendance at church these days says more than ever about the depth & sincerity of the love we have for our own Christian community…(or the lack thereof).

We Aren’t the First…

Call it what you will: Quarantine, isolation, or banishment, nobody wants to be “out of the club”. Ancient Jews called it “being unclean”. Anything from skin diseases to physical contact with a corpse could win you an extended trip away from your worshipping friends. Even secondary contamination was taken into account.

Talk about a nightmare! These guys had to be careful about everything. Neglect came with awfully strict penalties. Eat the wrong food, touch the wrong plate, and you’d be kept from corporate worship. Tread the wrong ground, and you could miss the annual celebration (see Jn.18:28). These were deep and abiding concerns for the people of God.

Uncleanness would weaken a person’s spiritual stamina, endanger that person’s life, and put the future of the entire congregation in a precarious position. It’s safe to assume that no kind-hearted Hebrew wanted to be seen as the one responsible for such inattentiveness.

Some Sleep Well…

Every community, however, has its own “violators”. These are people who see the “2-week” stipulation, not as a consequence for violating faith-principles, but as permission to do so. “As long as I’m willing to step aside for the necessary time”, they reason, “its ok for me to postpone all prior commitments to the things of God”. A week or two “outside the camp”, they suppose, and all goes back to normal once the time expires.

But is that really true? Two or more weeks away might eliminate the viral threat, but what has happened to that person’s heart while they were away? And what kind of mindset does a person have to begin with, that they can so easily “neglect the gathering of ourselves together, like some people do” (Heb.10:25)?

Truancy reveals something about the heart

Simply put, fellowship isn’t a high priority for them. They aren’t too concerned about whether their chosen lifestyle will require time away from their Christian community, they just want to enjoy life, and they aren’t going to let some silly hygiene recommendations slow them down one bit.

Exclusion from fellowship is a nightmare to some, but it’s a vacation for others.

Others Go Camping…

The campout was a real pleasure this year, wasn’t it? In spite of all the cancellations and restrictions we’ve seen, we were still able to safely come together for fun & fellowship. The extra care we’ve all taken in our personal lives may have been a bit of a nightmare, but I hope that our time together this weekend made it worth the effort.

Thank you all for making the necessary sacrifices to spend the time with me, my church in Duluth, and the rest of God’s family. Bad dreams or not, the reality is, your love for us is noticeable.