I got a text yesterday from a friend that read, “Morning. We are just getting over Covid. Good times.”

Ugh, what? She went on to share that it was “annoying, but manageable” and that they “actually got a ton done around the house since…mandatory 2-week work quarantine.”

Oh, no biggie, right?

She’s pretty nonchalant and sarcastic, which is why we’re friends. I’m sure there’s more to the story. Or not, because she and her husband both work at the hospital. It was bound to take them down at some point.

But it made Covid a bit more real for me. Because she lives around the corner.

Jesus made a sacrifice. You can, too.

I need to get a little preachy.

I’ve been wearing a mask for months now when I (rarely) venture out to the Target or to pick up take out. It’s an easy, albeit completely weird and uncomfortable, thing to do.

And I really think Jesus wants you to wear a mask, too. It’s an itty bitty sacrifice you can make these days.

Whereas Jesus made, uh, the ULTIMATE sacrifice to BETTER SOCIETY, laying down His life for you and me.

Even if you’re like me and sometimes think the whole dying-for-our-sins thing is just a nice story in an old book, it’s still a pretty cool idea.

I like Jordan Peterson’s interpretation of Jesus’ death on the cross. (Yes, I know, Peterson isn’t exactly the darling of the Left right now, but hear me out.) He calls it a symbol to strive for – to die for someone else. To even die for yourself. To sacrifice your current self for your future, BETTER self.

Which means we can make teeny, tiny sacrifices of comfort and wear bandana-face-shields when we visit the bank, like frikkin old school bank robbers. To help out our neighbors, family, friends, and millions of people we don’t even know.

We need to get a handle on this whole virus thing. And, y’all, I need my children to go to in-person school at some point in the next 12 years.

So can we all pull together and put on the head gear? It’s a little thing to sacrifice right now for your future self, for your loved ones, and for the betterment of society.

Wear a mask. Because: SCIENCE.

One last thing. I’m loving this Facebook note from one of my brave, conservative friends:

Because I am a Jesus follower, I think it is important to speak up so that my many friends who do not identify as Christian see that just because I do, it doesn’t mean I drink the Far Right kool-aid. I believe these are trying times. I believe our local and state governments are trying their best to keep people safe. I believe we should wear masks because of science and human decency.

I believe Jesus likes science and I’m pretty sure he likes human decency. So put on yo damn mask. (Jesus probably likes a little cussing, too. I mean, He gets that things are a bit crazytown down here right now.)

And keep practicing the THREE W’s:

Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Watch your distance.

Then maybe you won’t get a text from your bestie about how she’s dealing with the corona that may or may not be as “manageable” as my friend claims it is.

Are you willing to wear a mask? Share your thoughts below or comment on Facebook at MothersRest.

P.S. Thanks, Mimi, for the awesome motorcycle masks for the boys!

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS
This comment from a reader blew me away:

John 13:34-35. “Love one another as I have loved you. So, shall you love one another.” When a professed Christian won’t wear a mask (b/c it’s uncomfortable?), Jesus looked more than just a little uncomfortable when he was hanging on the cross for us!