We are a divided nation. The last decade in particular has exposed these deep divisions within our society and culture. Since the 2016 Brexit vote more of this anger has been expressed vocally on social media and on the streets.

During the Covid-19 pandemic a new division has arisen - with a vocal minority protesting against vaccines and lockdown measures. Our attitudes towards lockdown compliance and mask wearing in particular have been a new social division.

I have found myself judging others for their deliberate flouting of the law and guidance. I have been abused on the streets of London for wearing my Tigers mask in public between building requiring masks at the time. I was in fear of physical abuse from the conspiracy crowd!

At saje Impact we are passionate about being a voice for the voiceless. In this twitter thread below, Director Sarah Reed has set out why those refusing to wear masks (and we can assume take other minor precautions) are causing harm to the vulnerable in the Church.

It is an issue we have felt quite passionately about over the last year since guidance was changed by the government on what reasonable measures were needed to contain the Virus.

It has become very personal for us because of the level of clinical vulnerability we have awareness for. It is for those we know that need to be protected that we take a strong stance on this issue. We have therefore been shocked to discover that people who we thought shared our values to tackle inequality and look after the vulnerable don’t share the willingness to take a simple act like wearing a mask in a high risk venue as seriously and would prefer to express some notion of ‘freedom’ not to wear one above the needs of others. We all know that ‘freedom’ is not absolute and comes with rights and responsibilities. Where my freedom has impact on others those boundaries have to be respected and negotiated. Claiming your freedom not to wear a mask in a crowded indoor space impacts on my ability to participate on that space because of the high risks placed on my health and the possibility of passing on a Virus that even today (Feb 6th 2022) has been transmitted 90,000 times today, has meant 14,000 patients are in hospital and 230 people died yesterday with Covid in hospitals. Transmission has a chain. You may not be aware of your part in the deaths of the 230 people yesterday. Or the 230 the day before. You may have had no part in the deaths of anybody specifically. But we will never know. So why take the risk by not wearing a mask just to be on the safe side and know you did all you can?

Of course mask wearing is not the answer to this global pandemic. Vaccine roll out globally and ventilation and social distancing remain priorities. But one of the simplest things YOU can do with minimum effort is to put a mask on!

We have been saddened to find another dividing line between people we know.

But I have always managed to tread my way through conflict by spending a lot of time trying to understand the point of view of any potential adversary. That is why we brought ourselves to read the article referenced in these tweets despite the content being deeply offensive.

We know the attitudes and approach to this issue has divided families and friends. So we are embarking on a mission to understand attitudes of those willing to put themselves others at risk in well known high risk settings… in this case Churches.

We have a series of questions we will start to pose to ourselves and share in a series of FAQs as we develop this series!

Attitudes to Mask Wearing

Quotes I find troubling and why these myths need debunking from the article which sparked this response.

“We must not overlook the deep, lasting damage that a culture of mask-wearing could have on our spiritual health.

Countless opportunities for organic ministry are lost because we cannot read one another’s expressions or hear each other well enough to enjoy true fellowship.

I have been told that I must wear a mask in order to love and protect others. But that definition of love is narrow, and reduces people’s needs down to one simplistic need of protection from a virus.

Instead, we should allow people the freedom to decide how to express love for themselves.

we ought not to stand on our rights, but rather use our freedom to serve others. I admire the gracious motivation here, but what if we feel the right to show our faces is essential to the spiritual health of our neighbour? What if being mask-free is actually what enables us to serve others effectively?

We must be careful, especially if we are relatively low-risk, not to be dismissive of the anxieties of others. We have all had very different experiences of the pandemic, and must consider this as we discuss mask-wearing graciously with one another.

But I wonder if continuing the theatrics of wearing masks - You can tell a lot from this comment can’t you! I wear a mask out of respect and love for others. I do it simply and humbly not with any theatrics!