It was incredibly relieving and reassuring to read statements this week from Rev. Jane Field and the Maine Council of Churches encouraging Maine’s faith communities to step up and promote COVID-19 vaccination (“Maine Council of Churches urges virtual-only worship services to slow surge of COVID-19,” Jan. 4).Supporting public health measures is one of the simplest and most important ways that we can show love for our neighbors and communities. Demonstrating this love is a central tenant of my personal Christian faith and preached widely by Christian faith communities. Yet when it comes to encouraging vaccination, the silence of Christian leaders is deafening, perplexing and devastating.Fortunately, Rev. Field and the MCC have instead taken a courageous, logical, and evidence-based position encouraging church leaders to embrace and promote COVID-19 vaccination in Maine. This is Christian leadership at its best.Faith communities should absolutely be leaders when it comes to COVID mitigation measures, especially vaccination. I hope that churches throughout Maine will heed MCC’s advice and consider hosting vaccination clinics, encouraging parishioners to vaccinate, and emphasizing that these are indeed moral imperatives for those of us purporting to love our neighbors.
Allison Long, Buckfield
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