Yesterday I wrote about the recent recommendations that have come into effect in Stockholm which has led us to once again postponing in-person meetings. We could meet, we want to meet but we’re not going to. Why?

Well, we care about each other of course. We don’t want to spread the virus amongst each other and with cases rapidly rising there is that chance that someone in our church will get it. Self-interest certainly plays a role.

We also want to support the efforts of our authorities in managing the health system and therefore the health of the citizens of Stockholm. This is a huge task and it needs the populace to co-operate. It was a difficult spring with the majority of Sweden’s nearly 6,000 COVID-19 deaths happening amongst the elderly in care homes and no one wants a repeat of that. So, we will do our small part.

Sweden has chosen the path of trusting it’s people rather than forcing it’s people through law. I like the freedoms we have and I’m uneasy with the ease at which democratic states have removed them and imposed curfews, lockdowns and restrictions of movement that we would historically have associated with communism or totalitarian governments. I get to enjoy these freedoms longer by using them wisely and respecting the advice of the government.

We’re also mindful that the news reports of churches in (primarily) the States being super-spreaders of the virus just plays into all the worst stereotypes that Swedes have of Christians. Matters of conscience certainly can’t be determined by the views of secular people an ocean away but American right-wing evangelicalism certainly does not help the reputation of Christ here in Sweden. It brings to mind a saying I was taught as a kid, “Better to keep quiet and people think you a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.”

Because it is not lockdown, we do have some latitude in how we use apply things and while we won’t organise larger public gatherings, we can with wisdom still meet with each other in our homes on the basis that we are all healthy and we can go for walks together and pray for our city.

Lastly as a young (ish), mostly affluent, international group of people with easy access to high-speed internet, moving services online is not particularly burdensome even if we do so fairly unenthusiastically.