Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Hosanna! Hosanna! As Jesus rode forth into Jerusalem on a donkey, a crowd called out to him these words. It was by no mistake that he was evoking the imagery of the king riding into Jerusalem found in Zechariah 9. Yet, to bring down the worldly powers was not his mission, like the prophets before him he came to bring about social and religious renewal.

The cry that spilled forth from the mouths of these people, Hosanna, was not merely a divine title but the Greek form of a Hebrew plea, meaning: save us – please! As we approach Easter, the holiest day in Christianity, the words cannot seem more apt as a global pandemic is devastating both lives and economies. We have seen some signs of hope with the infection curve potentially flattening in New York City as well as in other states but we are likely weeks if not months away from a return to some form of normalcy, especially if social distancing is neglected.[1] States or communities that refuse to encourage social distancing risk a relapse for all, which would only increase the death toll as well as lengthen the economic impact.

During the week of Easter and Passover, the first wave of stimulus checks will be arriving to those who have a bank account on file with the IRS. For some, the check will be nothing more than an impulse purchase of an item previously unattainable, for others it may be a security blanket, yet for even more it may be the difference between eating and going to bed hungry. It has been reported that many workers who make under $100,000/year live paycheck to paycheck meanwhile, record unemployment claims have flooded government systems as more jobs are impacted by the virus.[2][3] In addition to this, the New York Times has reported that nearly 40% of Americans were not prepared to handle an unplanned $400 dollar expense.[3] People previously mocked for their low income jobs, such as grocery store workers or those in food service, have been shown to be essential and their sacrifice has led to loss of life in places such as Walmart, Giant and Trader Joe’s.[5] It is a pity that these individuals likely reported to work for the same reason many other essential employees do: they live paycheck to paycheck and missing a day could cost them dearly. In addition to this, businesses and corporations may say their employees have the ability to call off if sick but in practice it comes with strings attached meant to discourage or downright punish such behavior.

The IRS has stated that those who earn up to $99,000 as a single filer, or $198,000 for joint filers will receive some money from the stimulus check (the full amount being $1,200 for single filers, or $2,400 for joint filers plus $500 per child).[6] Even for those that receive the full amount, this may be a drop in the bucket when one takes into account the cost of living including rent or mortgage, food, utilities as well as any debt. Marketwatch has recently reported that nearly 1 in 3 Americans have said that the stimulus check will not last a month, with around 8% of those saying it would do little to help them.[7] Meanwhile, there has been an approximate 12% drop in rent payments for the month of April compared to this same time last year, the virus has been raging for over a month in some states and the data has revealed its impact.[8]

Even for the ones that the stimulus check keeps afloat for another month, they have to face the harsh reality that the pandemic is indicating it will be more than a month before things are up and running again. For myself, between rent and utilities I pay nearly $800 a month, the stimulus check would not be a long term solution for me. Being an essential employee however, my finances have not yet experienced the economic shock of this pandemic, and thus for me, it is not currently a lifeline but I welcome it nonetheless. I am to be married this Halloween and I would like nothing more than to save up for a house in the coming years so that I can stop going from place to place as rent rises. Because I am in this somewhat stable financial situation, I have the luxury of saving the stimulus check for that very reason. Others have not been so lucky. While I live with a pre-existing condition and as such am not pleased that I have to go into work and be exposed to individuals, some of whom deny the severity of COVID-19, or balk at social distancing, at least I do not currently have to worry about putting food on my table. Because I find myself in somewhat of a stable place, there is no reason not to help those in need with a portion of my stimulus check. As Christians, that is what we are called to do.

For those without financial stability, I would recommend that they keep every cent. The purpose of the check is to help the economy as well as offer some financial peace for those that are struggling. Not all of us require the check to live however, and on the eve of the holiest Christian day, we should live out the faith which we say we walk, and care for those in need. According to Luke, Jesus said: But as you wish others do to you, do to them the same. One thing is certain, in these uncertain and quite frightening times, the last thing anyone should be worrying about is choosing between paying rent and eating. If we can help even one person be relieved of this issue, is this not what we are supposed to do?

There are systems in place to offer aid for this very thing, places such as the food bank which not only accepts food donations but monetary ones as well. Unfortunately, as reported by the New York Times, some food banks have seen a drastic increase in demand while supplies have dwindled both because people are donating less food and picking shelves clean. Since supplies are being donated less and less as some people store away selfish amounts of food, the food bank is having to spend more funds on groceries than in prior times.[9] There is also evidence to suggest there may be a temporary increase in the cost of certain food items due to the pandemic.[10] For example in California there have been reports of wild fluctuations in prices in items such as eggs, an item already prone to irregular shifts, with worries that meat will follow the same trend in certain sectors of the country.[11][12] These price increases will no doubt further stifle the food bank and similar organizations.

The money from this stimulus check offers a chance for us to provide aid that they desperately need. There are also other non-profits that are on the ground providing aid, and they too could use all the support they can get. Even helping an individual you know that is in financial hardship is doing your part. It need not be monetary donations, it could be food. Regardless, a need has arisen that we can fill, so why not rise to the occasion? Life is precious, and no one is more important than another. The pandemic is no doubt a horrible thing but it gives us a chance to do what is right and show the love of God that has been freely given to us.

With Easter upon us, some may be thinking of tithing to a local church. There is nothing wrong with supporting a local church, especially given the fact that tithing has likely decreased due to the move to online sermons as a result of the virus. Yet, one must be alert and sober minded. Not all churches deserve the tithe which they will receive, other churches, peoples, or organizations may deserve it far more. Growing up I attended a church that hid away behind its walls like a lamp covered by a basket, offering little to the community in which they were a part save for a gym which was meant “to bring in non-christians”. Over the course of a decade, they did very little in the community and while one cannot know the mind of another, it seemed as though the likely millions of dollars collected over the years, were less for the congregation and community as they were for developing a profitable sports empire.

There are churches like this today that collect large sums of money, yet neglect their community, save for a few photo opportunities, where they use the poor and those in need as a way of meeting fundraising goals. These are not the ekklesia of the Bible, they are businesses dressed as churches. If a church is not constantly caring for the poor, or those in need, it is not truly a church and deserves no tithe. Did Jesus not enter the temple and turn over tables for this reason? Driving out those who he proclaimed to be robbers and thieves? But what would he think of the extravagance of multi-million dollar buildings meant to acquire a profit rather that meant to teach of the prophets? Instead, I implore you to support organizations or individuals in need, so that the money will help the community, rather than being hidden away for useless expenses by wolves dressed as sheep.

It is written in Acts that in the early days of the budding Christian community, they held all things in common and that they were selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to anyone that was in need, so that no one lacked among them. It was not compulsory to give all their possessions nor was it compulsory to give all the proceeds and wages they made to the community. If you have heard of Ananias and Sapphira, they were not punished for withholding money from the community, but rather for lying that they had given the full amount. I am not suggesting that the entire stimulus check you receive, be given away. If you can do so, that would be fantastic. I myself will not be giving the full amount, simply a portion, as my means allow. As Christians we are to financially, spiritually and emotionally support those that are lacking, we are to do so for the sake of helping others not for the sake of boasting.

It is written that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep. We weep when those we know perish or suffer before us, yet we often stand complacent when destruction comes upon a neighbor. When tragedy does not directly affect us, we see it not as a tragedy but an inconvenience. This is not who we were called to be, we were called to be empathetic individuals who offer support to those in times of trial. Let Easter remind us who we are supposed to be, not letting our faith be dictated by the leaders of our political parties but let us walk in love for one another. Jesus said it best in Luke 3:11: But if one has two tunics, give to the one who does not, and if one has food, do the same thing. Give to those in need, so that this tragedy can become a triumph of good, not for the sake of pride but for the sake of love.

Sources:

Flattening NYC Curve https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andrew-cuomo-new-york-governor-flattening-curve/ Paycheck to Paycheck Living https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/01/11/live-paycheck-to-paycheck-government-shutdown/#7e5c92294f10 https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/09/shutdown-highlights-that-4-in-5-us-workers-live-paycheck-to-paycheck.html Record Unemployment https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/04/02/business/bc-us-virus-outbreak-unemployment-benefits.html 4/10 Americans Unable to Pay $400 Expense https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/business/economy/fed-400-dollar-survey.html Essential Employee Deaths https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/grocery-workers-are-beginning-to-die-of-coronavirus/ar-BB12eFSF IRS Check Amounts https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payments-what-you-need-to-know Stimulus Check Won’t Last a Month https://www.marketwatch.com/story/1-in-3-americans-say-their-stimulus-checks-wont-sustain-them-for-even-a-month-2020-04-08 Missed Rent Payments for April 2020 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/no-rent-was-paid-in-april-by-nearly-a-third-of-american-renters-2020-04-08?mod=article_inline Food Bank in Crisis https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/business/economy/coronavirus-food-banks.html Global Food Price Increased https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/key-food-prices-are-surging-after-virus-upends-supply-chains/ar-BB12e8SY Egg Prices in California https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-08/egg-prices-rising-coronavirus Meat Prices https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/prices-of-basic-foods-soar-due-to-coronavirus/2217592/