Like the rest of the nation, New York City has seen protestors flood the streets in response to the killing of George Floyd. And yet, as protestors gather by the thousands, the city is still technically under lockdown and is scheduled to begin phase one of reopening next week. Throughout the state, worship services are still limited to gatherings of no more than 10 people and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened to permanently close churches in New York City that hold worship services without his permission. A week ago he said that it would be “very dangerous” to reopen churches, saying that “it is not the time to start large gatherings of any kind.”

In a press conference yesterday, Mayor de Blasio was asked why the city is applying one standard to protestors and another to everyone else. De Blasio responded by saying,

When you see a nation, an entire nation simultaneously grappling with an extraordinary crisis seeded in 400 years of American racism… That’s not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner, or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services. This is something that’s not about which side of the spectrum you’re on. It’s about a deep, deep American crisis…

What de Blasio’s response misses is that America needs the church now more than ever because we are in a moment of crisis and because our nation is crying out for justice. Saying that opening churches is “not the same question” fails to grasp that right now our nation needs the hope that only the church can offer. De Blasio’s comments treat places of worship as if they are just another social activity, and under this reasoning, there is no urgent need to reopen them. But as people grapple with how to address injustice, civil unrest, and the devastation of a pandemic, our nation needs the church to proclaim the gospel. Church is not merely a social activity. It is the gathered body of Christ and while it is true that church is not a building, we must not be cowed into believing that gathering as the body of Christ is a non-essential activity. Our nation needs the ministry of the church right now because we are currently witnessing the brokenness of a nation that is being devastated by the effects of sin, and people need to know that it is in the death and resurrection of Christ that sin and death are defeated.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Mayor de Blasio has displayed a hostility toward religious gatherings. Choosing to allow thousands of protestors to gather when he has insisted that more than 10 worshipers in one place is extremely dangerous and has shut down and publicly targeted religious funeral gatherings demonstrates a serious double-standard.

Furthermore, his comments demonstrate that he fundamentally misunderstands what the church is. The church is not a social club. The church is the people of God commissioned to make disciples of all nations and to proclaim the gospel truth that our world, our nation, and our communities so desperately need to hear right now. Americans are looking for hope and crying out for justice, peace and reconciliation. None of these things can be found apart from the gospel, and shuttering churches in New York City or anywhere else will only hinder people from hearing the truth and knowing the true source of hope, healing, and reconciliation.

(Image: Flickr, Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)