In Physics there is a concept known as inertia. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, inertia refers to “the tendency of a body to remain at rest or of a body in motion to stay in motion.” What is true in the physical world has its counterpart in the spiritual realm as well. Christians at rest tend to stay at rest. When your congenial editor, for example, moved from Denton to Winter Park, a period of ten weeks elapsed during which I neither wrote nor published any articles (between May 25th to August 3rd). After nearly eight solid years of published Spiritual Perspectives, one would think I would miss the challenge of writing an article every week. And I did—for about
two weeks. After a few more weeks went by, I didn’t miss it as much. That circumstance morphed into, “Say, just think how much time I’m saving every week” (several hours, in fact). Then it almost reached the point of, “Maybe I won’t ever undertake such a mammoth task again” (just a fleeting thought).
The same is true with most of us. Consider how faithful Christians become unfaithful. Sometimes it occurs overnight, but most of the time it is gradual. Usually, they become sporadic in their attendance on Sunday and Wednesday nights before ceasing to worship at all on those evenings. Then their Sunday morning attendance likewise becomes spotty. Excuses are always forthcoming: someone was sick; the car wouldn’t start; a neighbor had an emergency, the dog got loose on the golf course (that one actually happened), etc. Before long attendance dwindles to once a month or once every two months before they cease to come altogether.
Therefore, cancelling services for a lengthy period of time is not a good idea—even though, for health reasons, some must not be out. What if we were attacked by a virus and everyone were ordered to stay in for four months? When it finally became “safe” to resume most social activities, how many would eagerly return to the assembly God instructs us not to forsake (Heb. 10:25), and how many would say, “I really must get back one of these days”? Habit works against us. Maybe it’s just easier to watch a service on television than to get out in the heat, the rain, or the snow. Many will have learned by this time how to make their own communion bread and have their own grape juice ready to participate on line at the appropriate time. Probably they have a songbook handy, also. Maybe they have arranged to give electronically, or they have stacked up their checks awaiting an opportunity to give them. Hopefully, we will never face such a long period of isolation, but short or long, we ought to be aware of the dangers of spiritual inertia.