A substantial lack of morality

Morality concerns the distinction between right and wrong and the difference between good and bad behavior. It seems to me that our society is having trouble distinguishing between right and wrong.

I read an article in the Louisville Courier Journal about COVID-19 vaccinations in Southern Indiana. The article quoted from a February 1 post on the Clark County Health Department Facebook page which said, “At the vaccination sites we are seeing a substantial lack of morality. People are lying about their residence, lying about their job location or duties, and yes, even lying about their age as they hand us their driver’s license.”

We have seen over and over health care workers from around the country who are exhausted from caring for an overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients. These workers risk their lives daily to take care of us. They beg us to wear masks and practice social distancing, so the health care system will not collapse with even more COVID-19 patients. Yet there are many among us who are offended at the idea that they should temporarily give up their rights to socialize and be maskless.

In the above Facebook post, I was struck by the phrase “a substantial lack of morality” and how our public health system has joined our preachers in warning us that we have a serious problem with morality. Have we become more prone to tell lies, to believe lies, and to disregard our neighbors? It sure seems that way. Consider how the Bible teaches us to treat one another.

Philippians 2:3-8

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. NASU

This passages reminds us to stop being selfish, humble ourselves, and consider the interests of other people. Jesus, who was God, became a servant to us all in order to save us from the hell we deserve for our sins. We should honor Jesus by following his example of service and sacrifice.

The Facebook post concluded with, “If you are taking a vaccine away from a person, or an area that you were not ‘counted’ in, someone else is unable to get vaccinated. Someone who has a higher risk of serious consequences. We are seeing it. We are living it. Be kind. Be honest. Be safe.”

Sounds like they are preaching for us to be more like Jesus.