“Churches Were Eager to Reopen. Now They Are a Major Source of Coronavirus Cases.” So says the headline of this NYT article. Now I think churches are a risky place for transmission of the virus,* especially through singing. So I’m interested in this argument. Major sounds like churches are a big part of the problem in the coronavirus. So I was surprised to see the article has found…ahem…

More than 650 coronavirus cases have been linked to nearly 40 churches and religious events across the United States since the beginning of the pandemic, with many of them erupting over the last month as Americans resumed their pre-pandemic activities, according to a New York Times database.

Wow…a whole 650. Now we are concerned about every case, so I’m not minimizing the individual importance–but the point of the article is suggesting that churches are a big part of the problem. A quick look at CDC data shows we have 2,932,596 cases of Covid-19 in the US since this has started. That means churches are associated with a whopping .022% of Covid-19 cases.

Can we have the paper of record apply just a wee bit of perspective before headlining with such a suggestive lead?

* As an elder at my church I’ve been part of the decision making to hold services outside with separation in our parking lot. I’m not eager to go back indoors, and am in no hurry at least into the fall. My current thought is have our worship songs out in the parking lot when it gets colder, then go inside with masks for the sermon. And those high risk individuals should watch online.