How to Love Your Neighbors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Life looks a lot different today than it normally does, but being under lockdown because of a pandemic doesn’t exempt us from the tenets of our faith, including that of loving our neighbors.

We’re supposed to be “social distancing,” which means we can’t be in close proximity to our neighbors. Given this, how exactly can we do things to care for them? Here are 7 ideas.

Loving our neighbors while social distancing

Don’t buy more food and supplies than you need

One of the easiest things we can do to love our neighbors is to purchase what we need at the store while leaving what we don’t need. In other words, we shouldn’t buy all of the toilet paper that is available. We shouldn’t buy all of the hand sanitizer. We shouldn’t buy all of the pasta, milk, eggs, or bread. We should buy what we need and leave the rest for our neighbors. Just because stores say we can purchase up to certain quantities of specified items doesn’t mean we need that many (e.g., if we only need one loaf of bread, we shouldn’t purchase three just because the store allows it).

I know it is tempting to stock up when something is available. Personally, my instinct is to get it while I can! Stocking up is a good idea under normal circumstances. However, right now there are many bare grocery store shelves. In this situation, the loving thing to do is to leave some for our neighbors.

Stay home

We should all be staying home. This is true whether you are under an official stay-at-home order or not. Obviously some of us have to leave home due to being essential workers (like my husband) or to go to the doctor, grocery store, pharmacy, etc. Outside of these essential activities, though, we should all be at home. According to the World Health Organization, individuals with COVID-19 can spread the virus during the pre-symptomatic period (i.e., before they show any symptoms of the disease) and there may be asymptomatic spreaders (i.e., people who have the virus and spread it but don’t get sick from it). In other words, you may have the disease and not know it. If you go out and about, you’ll spread it. This is not the loving thing to do. I know it is hard to stay home all of the time, but it is an easy way to protect our neighbors.

A word about church

There have been scores of churches still meeting even though their areas are under lockdown (you can see news stories about these churches here, here, and here). Some do so in defiance of state or local orders and others have permission because churches are exempt from the stay-at-home orders in their areas. Either way, these pastors and congregants are acting foolishly and in an unloving manner.

Jesus taught that the two most important commandments are to love God and love others (Matthew 22:36-40). I’ve read the entire Bible several times and nowhere does it say that loving God means you have to be within the four walls of your church on Sunday morning. Don’t get me wrong here. Meeting together is important (Hebrews 10:25). Praying together and worshiping together are important. Taking communion together is important. However, in order to love our neighbors, we need to temporarily cease these activities because meeting together fosters the spread of COVID-19 to our neighbors. This does not mean we can’t worship together via livestreamed services and pray or study the Bible together using Zoom or similar applications. We can and should still “meet” in these ways, we just need to temporarily stop meeting in person in order to protect our communities from the spread of the virus.

If, despite being under lockdown, you are attending church services right now, please consider this: It is hypocritical of you to claim to be pro-life yet be meeting in person. The Bible says that fresh water and salt water can’t flow from the same spring (James 3:9-12). Likewise, you aren’t really “pro-life” if you are meeting in person with your congregation at this time. You may be anti-abortion, but you are willingly engaging in an activity that will spread a deadly virus in your community. This isn’t pro-life. This is you doing what you want to do even if it means people will get sick and die. It’s unloving and it’s not pro-life.

Check on your neighbors and offer assistance

It’s so important that we reach out to our neighbors and see how they are doing. They may have physical needs (for example, they may be out of toilet paper or need someone to pick up groceries for them) or they may have mental and emotional needs (for example, they may be feeling lonely or stressed). If you have your neighbors’ phone numbers, then you can safely check in with them by phone. If you don’t have their numbers or you want to see them, then knock on their doors, but then stand back and communicate with one another at a good distance.

If any of your neighbors have needs, do what you can to help. Share your supplies. Participate in drive-by “bear hunts” and other activities that neighborhoods are doing to keep kids busy. Share encouraging words and pray together. It’s a little challenging to do these things while social distancing, but it’s as important now as it has ever been!

Sew and donate facemasks

The CDC now recommends that all Americans, especially those in hot spots, wear cloth masks when out in public. You still need to stay home unless you’re performing essential tasks and you still need to engage in social distancing. Cloth face coverings are not as robust as surgical masks or N95 respirators, but there is a shortage of these, so we need to save them for healthcare providers and other frontline workers. Cloth masks are beneficial in that they stop respiratory droplets from carrying the germ to bystanders when someone with the virus speaks, coughs, or sneezes.

There are many no-sew ways to make masks, but these are not as sturdy as those that are sewn. If you have fabric and sewing skills, consider sewing masks for your family and to share with neighbors. Some organizations, including nursing homes and senior housing complexes, are asking for donations of handmade masks. If you can help, this is a great way to love your neighbors. Here are some tips and patterns:

• How to Sew a Face Mask
• Face Mask Sewing Pattern
• Assorted patterns and tutorials from JOANN (craft store)

Check with local healthcare organizations (hospitals, nursing homes, home health providers, etc.), local first responders (EMS, police, fire departments, etc.), and other organizations that serve the community (food banks, homeless shelters, etc.) to see if they are taking donations.

Donate to organizations serving those with financial needs

There are always people around us who have financial needs. With unemployment skyrocketing in recent weeks, this number has increased exponentially. If you are able to do so, please consider donating to help those who can’t afford food or can’t pay their bills. That may mean donating money or food items to local food banks. It may mean helping a neighbor pay his or her electric bill. Whatever it is, give as much as you can. Like many of you, my family lives paycheck to paycheck, so we don’t have a lot to give away. However, my husband still has his job, so we’re definitely giving. We know we have an “Economic Impact Payment” coming from the government (because of the CARES Act). As much as we would benefit from this money, we know others whose needs are much greater. Thus, we’re going to give some of it to individuals who have needs and to organizations serving those with needs. I hope many of you will do the same.

Support local businesses and workers

Sadly, there are many small businesses in our communities that won’t survive the lockdowns that we are currently under. Some of these businesses are still open and are operating within the parameters set by stay-at-home orders. Many restaurants, for example, are open for drive-thru and carry-out service. Likewise, some stores are still selling their products via online storefronts. If you can afford to do so, consider ordering from these businesses in order to keep them up and running.

Many gig workers and hourly workers (nannies, salon workers, dog walkers, fitness instructors, etc.) are currently unable to work. If you usually enlist the services of these professionals, try to get into contact with them and continue paying them even if you can’t receive the services right now. For example, if you have your nails done every two weeks by a particular manicurist, than give her a call and make arrangements to pay her as usual even though she can’t provide the service right now. This means so much to workers who are currently without pay!

Donate blood

Across the U.S., donor centers have seen a significant drop in blood donations over the last weeks. Unfortunately, there are many patients still in need of blood. Donor centers are taking precautions (staff wear face masks, donors are spread out in accordance with social distancing guidelines, donor-touched surfaces are disinfected after donation collection, etc.). If you are healthy and eligible to donate, please consider making an appointment with your local blood bank to donate blood. Donating blood is an incredible way to love your neighbors! It can literally save their lives.

Final thoughts

It’s easy for me to look inward during times like this. I’m stuck at home with three young kids, I’m worried about my husband who has to go to work because he is essential personnel, etc. However, I know that the Lord desires for me to look outward and serve those around me. We’re doing some of the things I’ve listed here, and we hope to do even more in the days to come.

If you have additional ideas, then I’d love to hear them! How are you serving your neighbors during this pandemic?

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home, Over the Moon, Farm Fresh Tuesdays, and Busy Monday.