I know people who are really afraid for their futures. Their ideas may sound like a conspiracy theory, but they believe that a new intolerance is coming on us. The official orthodoxy is that everyone should get vaccinated, and disagreement with this official position can lead to abuse and loss of freedom. The people who I know, who are really worried, are mostly opposed to vaccination for COVID.

It’s like the new racial intolerance.

One of the best known opponents of COVID vaccination is the musician Eric Clapton. He developed health problems after being vaccinated, and he blames the vaccine. He says that he has lost friends because of his opinions. I have seen some abusive statements aimed at Eric Clapton.

READ: Eric Clapton sings ‘enough is enough’ on new COVID policy protest song ‘This Has Gotta Stop’

I should give a disclaimer here. I personally don’t want to be on one side of the argument, so I won’t give a one-sided opinion about COVID treatments. I think we should encourage open discussion about the issues, and possibly understand each other. We used to live like that.

I am also concerned with the government where I live. It appears that they have made expensive, no-refund contracts with a few suppliers. Only four vaccines are approved for emergency distribution and only two of those are actually available. With one of those approved vaccines, people who got the first shot can’t get their second shot because the authorities decided to stop making it available.

I don’t like some of these developments, and I hope my ideas don’t make you angry.

The problem with COVID anger is that we are becoming divided, and our attitudes to each other are like intolerant racism. We can’t reject each other for most reasons, but now we have found an excuse. If we choose one side of the argument, people on the other side are the enemy, and somehow they deserve our abuse. For example, I know of doctors who will not help a patient if they are not vaccinated. The doctors just abandon those sick people.

We are developing a spiritual sickness, much worse than COVID. It’s the new pandemic.

Have you heard of the “Milgram Experiment” at Yale University? This showed that we are willing to reject each other, and even let the other die, if the authorities direct us that way.

We are repeating the experiment now. If you do an Internet search of terms like “vaccine anger” you will see examples of the COVID divide.

I am a follower of Jesus, and I do not have permission to reject my neighbor, even when I disagree; even when I am sure they are completely wrong. We seemed to have unlocked a door to intolerance, with the permission of COVID.

Our instructions are clear: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) and “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7) and “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.” (Galatians 6: 10)

That’s clear. For those who believe, there are some games we cannot play.

Those words about kindness may seem to be a simple Sunday School lesson, but they are pictures of spiritual good health. The stories in the news, these days, are pictures of sickness. Someday, we will probably find a way to stop COVID, but the other sickness has a different treatment.

We have to be new people. That idea gave us the words “born again.” We are in big trouble, if we can’t find a way to change.

That is the whole point of Jesus.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13: 4 to 6)

Were you alive when we listened to songs like this? We have come a long way; there was a time when people would turn up the radio to hear this better: