Gov. John Bel Edwards must feel like the Apostle Paul of the New Testament, as he continues to ward off political attacks by Republicans who have been trying to usurp his power since he became governor. Though the methods from different attacks have been around Edwards’ way of governing, much of the attacks has been from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana. It was only a few months ago when Louisiana Republicans tried to limit Edwards’ authority to impose emergencies in the state and how long those emergencies may last. When Republicans sent a petition to the governor to end the state imposed emergency, Edwards rejected them, leading Republicans to file a lawsuit asserting that Edwards had misused his powers as governor. Edwards in response, filed a counter lawsuit saying that what the Republicans tried to do was unconstitutional. The courts agreed with the Governor. Edwards would later move Louisiana from Phase 2 to Phase 3, adhering to COVID guidelines established by the White House as the state made minimal gains in reducing the spread of infections and deaths from COVID virus. But, that move by the governor would not last long as the state has moved back to Phase 2 due to record breaking numbers of people becoming ill in Louisiana and across the nation. It is because of Louisiana’s struggle to contain the pandemic in the summer that Edwards had imposed limited gatherings in buildings, among them, churches, Many pastors across the state cried that their right to assemble for worship was “under attack”, a rallying cry heard whenever religion enters into the political conversations. Tony Spell was one of those pastors who openly defied Edwards’ orders limiting worship occupancy by holding “standing room” only crowds, where some congregants wound up being infected with the virus. Spell would be charged and arrested, as he became the latest religious figure who would challenge the state’s authority when it came to freedom of worship during a time when a pandemic was pushing the nation to the brink of a catastrophe. Spell’s lawsuit was brought recently to the U.S. Supreme Court where he was denied a hearing not by the whole Court, but by a single Justice who saw no need to have a hearing. Republicans leaders in the state have been unusually quiet, as there has been no condemnation from them saying that the courts are ran by “liberal judges” who are taking away the right to worship. They are quiet because the 6-3 advantage that conservatives have on the Supreme Court have not rendered many rulings in their favor, whether it is from some religious issues, or from President Trump’s many legal challenges to the 2020 presidential elections.

Gov. Edwards in a statement following the ruling said, “Throughout the course of this pandemic, I have let science and data inform the many difficult decisions I have made regarding gathering sizes and other mitigation measures to slow the spread of COVID.” Trust the science folks, not the ones who know nothing about science. Edwards also said that the decisions that he makes, are to protect the citizens of Louisiana from the spread and cut down the toll that hospitals are experiencing from the pandemic. We keep hearing from those reminding us that “we” are all in this together. That “we” means in the biblical sense, that we are one body worldwide, the human body. Edwards, sounding more like a pastor than a political figure said, “There are many parts, yet one body, and if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy”. The spiritual connectiveness of the church is not going to go away. Jesus made sure of that. The pandemic will run its course. We should ask God for patience. He gives us instructions through doctors(scientists) and leaders who don’t see the politics, only the suffering and deaths. They are the ones we should listen to.