Our present polarization over mask mandates and vaccination status bears a striking resemblance with a topic that had some of the first followers of Jesus in a tiff: circumcision. I’m not equating today’s choice to get vaccinated—or to wear a mask in public—with the ancient argument over whether Gentile Christians should cut foreskins or eat kosher. But this current beef over what to do with our bodies is just as polarizing today as it was two thousand years ago. There is good news in the sacred text for those of us seeking common ground. Even as pillars of the faith passionately disagreed, they unified over one vital practice. They committed to prioritizing the poor in their midst. The litmus test for authentic Christian faith is protecting and serving those struggling to make ends meet. Which makes perfect sense. These are the people that Jesus the peasant-rabbi from Nazareth poured out his life for. I know Christians who refuse to get vaxxed—yet they are doing everything in their power to protect poor and vulnerable people. With their masks. With their distance. With their political and economic commitments. I can party with these people. We can shelve our disagreements over the jab and pursue justice together. Because radical love transcends the culture war—and compels us to conspire for a new world where those most at risk finally get to make the rules.
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