Yeah, you guessed it. That’s Rio’s Christ the Redeemer sculpture superimposed over Da Vinci’s golden proportions of man depiction. Jesus is wearing a protective mask and advocating for social distancing because that’s what (I believe) He would do in today’s world. Protect Himself as well as others. But today, the Golden Rule seems to have another connotation–one of a particular measurement/distance–6 feet of separation. And I’ve used this separation (and mask wearing) to example the gulf that exists between the two opposing American political parties.

Christians (include me), above all people, shouldn’t be opposed to wearing a mask. They profess to practice this Golden Rule scripture (Matthew 4:!2) more than everyone else. If they care about not transmitting their exhaled breaths to others, how can they refuse to wear a mask in public places where people congregate?

Yet, I see Trump holding political rallies where very few are wearing masks and are sitting/standing shoulder to shoulder. These gatherings may amp up his supporters, but they do so at the expense of being potential super spreaders of the coronavirus.

Unfortunately, mask wearing and the six feet of social distancing rule for Covid-19 safety has morphed into a political statement. The Democrats and the infectious disease specialists verses the Republicans and their refusal to follow what their own infectious disease specialists recommend. If you care more about others than yourself, as Jesus suggests, how can you not wear a mask–Republicans?

Giving in to donning a mask shouldn’t be a socialists statement. If it protects yourself and others (and it’s been proven to do so), then everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should do so. I mean how hard is it to wear a simple mask?
Your children look forward to wearing a mask every Halloween. The Lone Ranger wore a mask. And you’ve no doubt worn one to many Halloween parties you’ve attended throughout your lifetime. So what’s the big deal about not wearing one?

OK, I get it. Many Christians believe that their God will protect them from catching the virus, so they are of the opinion that they don’t need to don a mask. But if you do don, you’re showing a lack of faith. To that I say baloney. The way I look at it, if you don’t wear a mask, you’re testing the Lord to save you from infection. And we have many serious warnings in scripture about not testing the Lord. Jesus, while in the wilderness for forty days and nights, was three times tempted by Satan. Each time HE said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Matthew 4:7

PS: In Da Vinci’s Vitruvius Man drawing, human proportions are believed to be so perfect that they are thought to be divinely inspired. Hence, being called the Golden Ratio. I used Da Vinci’s drawing as a backdrop to parallel the golden proportions of man to scripture’s Golden Rule. Unfortunately, both are questionable. Some scholars are skeptical of Da Vinci’s meaning in his measurements, and the Golden Rule often gets flipped like an upside down cake–doing to others before they can likewise do to you.

Is it any wonder that we Americans are so divided in our evaluation of unrelenting information that we are almost incapable of really knowing whether it is true or false–or partly true or partly false. Oftentimes, I feel like my ability to discern truth from falsehood is likened to my ability to see the difference between a partly cloudy or partly sunny day.