Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to navigate this Coronavirus pandemic just like everyone else has. Many people have lost their jobs, or have their jobs on hold for the time being. Others are still working, but are either working from home, or still go into their jobs because they are considered essential for our society to function. We have people who are scared to leave their house, and others who think that this pandemic is blown way out of proportion and needs to stop. We have churches closing up and won't open again until mid-summer, some churches that are doing only online activities, and others that are continuing their practices as they were before the stay at home orders. We have families that are using this time to grow together and spend more time together, while others are counting the days when they can get back to their lives. All of us are going through this pandemic, and all of us are going to fail and make mistakes along the way that Jesus died on the cross for in order for us to be forgiven and saved. 

We all are going to make mistakes throughout this time, but there is one mistake that we have made that needs to be fixed right now. I have heard and seen many "Pro-Life," Lutherans abandoning their belief. I see charts that show deaths causes by the Covid19 as nothing in comparison to deaths caused by hunger, abortion, and suicide. All these charts do is make the deaths caused by this virus look meaningless. It is not a chart to calm people down, but rather a chart that disregards life. I have heard people say, "How many lives are needed to save our economy." What does this mean? It means that we don't care about certain lives because we love our money. WE don't care about 1,00, or even 25,000 lives because we don't want the stock market to crash and the economy to go into the pits. When you say, "The economy is more important than these lives," then all you are saying is that you love money more than you love people. We have people saying, "The real problem isn't this virus that is killing people, but what this virus is doing to our economy." 

How many lives are necessary? How many lives matter? 1. One life. One life matters, and that life is the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His incarnation, Jesus sanctified all life. This is what we Pro-Life people confess. In the womb of St. Mary, Jesus sanctified all wombs and made all life matter. This is one of the main reasons why we are opposed to abortion. We oppose abortion because Jesus claimed all life in the womb of St. Mary, and on the cross atoned for all life by assuming the sins of every sinner and dying in our stead to satisfy the wrath of the Father. In Jesus, all life matters, all life is important, and all life is sacred. There is not one life that Jesus did not assume in the womb of St. Mary. Just as there is not one sin that Jesus did not die on the cross for all mankind. Jesus, in His life, death, and resurrection made all life matter. How many lives must be saved at the expense of our convenient life? All life. 

We care more about the economy than we do about lives lost to the Coronavirus because money is our god. Mammon, the idol of our money, is what drives our everyday lives. We are inconvenienced by this pandemic, not because life does not matter, but because we value money more than the life of our neighbor. This pandemic has shown that our pro-life beliefs are mere lip service, or at best a political ideology. This pandemic has shown our true colors and preached to us an inconvenient truth, that we care more about the flashy things of this life more than we do our neighbor and our God. Repent with me my friends, lest we continue down this path of selfish desire. 

We are inconvenienced during this time because our heart is clinging to the idols of this world, rather than to the One True God who forgives us and saves us. When our heart is claimed by Jesus, we are not inconvenienced during this time, but rather see this time as a blessed gift to love our neighbor and live sacrificially for them. Yes, all life matters, from womb to tomb, including all lives lost to the Coronavirus. What does this mean? It means that our life changes for the sake of our neighbor. May the Holy Spirit work on us, that we may abide in our baptismal grace, and live for our neighbor just as Jesus lives for us. 

Remember your Catechism on Baptism which says, "What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Remember Jesus who says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

 The Baptized are defined and known by our love. We are defined by how Jesus loves us, and forgives us all our sins and justifies us that we may live with Him forever in heaven and in the world to come. We are also defined and known by our love for all around us, from womb to tomb. All life matters, and all life is worth living sacrificially for because Jesus made all life matter from His pilgrimage through this life, on the cross, and now at the right hand of His Father where He makes intercession for us and all creation. May love for God and our neighbor carry us through this time, rather than fear of what will happen to our society and economy. May the reality of who we are in Christ guide us all our days, through the strife of this life as we anticipate the joys of heaven immortal. All life matters, because Jesus atoned for all life on the cross, that all may be saved through Him. May this truth comfort us in knowing that we are loved by God, and also guide us all our days as we live in faith toward Him and in fervent love toward everyone around us. 

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you may hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I love you. I forgive you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog