Singapore is taking a definite step towards becoming Covid-resilient, and the go-ahead for churches to open up to larger congregations is welcomed.

Fittingly, this is taking place right after our 56th National Day (August 9), reminding us that we – as a nation and as a Singapore Church – have much cause to celebrate and be hopeful about in our shared future ahead.

This isn’t to say our war with Covid-19 is over. Countries all around us are still grappling with the consequences of the Delta variant’s spread, and what affects them affects us.

There is also the prospect looming large of an as-yet unknown other variant insidiously permeating our vaccine-enabled reprieve. Every tentative step towards economic recovery would then be upended and lives would again be held in delicate balance against livelihoods.

Singapore remains on the alert on various fronts, continuing with our nationwide vaccination programme and other precautionary measures. Nonetheless, the time has come for us to step out in faith.

“On Aug 10, we will start a preparatory stage,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at the Multi-Ministry Taskforce press conference held last Friday (Aug 6).

“This is when we will make important adjustments to healthcare protocols, rules on social activities and travel to prepare ourselves for a Covid-19-resilient nation. By August 19, we will make further adjustments if the pandemic situation remains stable.”

No ifs and buts

Let’s be clear: Vulnerability is a given. The chance of developing symptomatic and possibly severe disease even with the preferred vaccination choices of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna brands of Covid vaccines is pegged at 5%.

On the flip side, the stark statistic shown up by the last week (August 1 to 7) is that 100% of the five who succumbed to the disease locally in that period were unvaccinated.

Vitriol in the online space aside, the debate on what-if or when-this and maybe-that could conceivably be unending.

What’s plain to me is that the cost will be to our souls if we, as a Church, allow the vaccination issue to become a divide virtually larger than the stipulated 3-metre distance required between the groups of people seated in our pews.

In spiritual terms there would be death not only to the Singapore we know and love, but also to the Church we are called to be.

So, no, don’t take it personally if you – for your reasons – are not among those jabbed. There is the 50 you can be in Sunday service with. There is the effort churches everywhere are putting in to re-zone their premises and recruit volunteers to help out with the adaptations as we align ourselves to the law (Romans 13:1).

The list of blessings we could count would be endless – if only we would let it be.

Let your light so shine

The prophetic word spoken from my church’s pulpit today (August 8) was that the Light shining from small Singapore will emanate brighter and further to eventually penetrate the pandemic’s pall of doom and gloom covering the whole entire earth.

In the same vein, the preacher issued a call for us as individuals to dream big and live up to God’s higher purpose for us as His Light in these times.

Referencing the episode in which Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, he urged sober-minded differentiation between our needs and our wants: Peter had a need for his feet to be washed by the Lord, but not his whole body, as he wanted (John 13:8, 10).

And in the instances where there is the need to serve in spite of our wants – well, going before us, Jesus washed Judas’ feet, in spite of knowing His betrayal was soon coming.

Whether vaccinated or not, in gatherings of 50 or 500 now or in time to come, unity is where the Lord has commanded His blessing – life forevermore (Psalm 133:3).

May our purpose then be one, so that enlarging the place of our tents, stretching our curtains wide and not holding back, lengthening our cords and strengthening our stakes (Isaiah 54:2) is a vision we can corporately share in.

In this space, safe entry is freely available to one and all – vaccinated or not. One and all who would but call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21).