In 1773, not long after the Boston Tea Party, Israel Holly, a Presbyterian pastor in Suffield, Connecticut, urged his fellow colonists to boycott goods like tea to protest the policies of the British government. He called “for individuals to give up their private commercial interests for the public good.”
I came across Holly’s words by chance as we Americans were debating the proper response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What would Holly have thought of those who claim to be good Americans, claim to be family advocates, and claim to be Christians but would have happily put the public at risk in order to sell a few more silk flowers or wall plaques?
Now the debates are beginning anew. Some want to get things rolling right away; others—some state governors included—want to wait a while longer. We know more now than we knew a few weeks ago. We’ve had an opportunity to observe the virus’s behavior. South Dakota, a state that implemented few restrictions, has become a Coronavirus “hot spot.” Meanwhile, in states like Ohio where stay-at-home orders came early the infection rate is down. Enduring masks and staying isolated, adapting ourselves to new ways of living (not dashing off to the hardware store or bookstore on a whim), exercising caution when we consider sending fathers and mothers back into the workforce: these are things we do for the common good. Things Israel Holly would understand.
The Old Testament law includes an instruction for someone building a new home: “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it” (Dt. 22:8). Not an elaborate building code, perhaps, but it reminds us God wants us to look out for other people.
