Now, I have no intentions of walking back my opinion on vaccine passports. Nor do I take back my claim that it takes either stupidity or evil to support them. But reading it back, there is one part of that post I regret. I said that if you believe in vaccine passports, you are not my friend. Obviously, on social media, it's easy to get riled up and post all sorts of things you would later regret. You might even do so without thinking. But now that I have thought about it, I've realised I actually sound very different online when I don't care who's listening than I would to someone I particularly love. For example, my own mother believes vaccine passports are a good idea. [Post publishing note: It turns out, she only believes vaccine passports should apply to international travel, and that a negative covid test should also suffice.] Would I say to her "you are not my friend"? Well, honestly, no. I love my mother to the edge of the universe, and no stupid disagreement over politics is ever going to change that.
So my brethren, here's my suggestion. Whenever you say anything, be it online or in person, mentally switch your audience. Pretend you are saying what you're saying to someone you particularly love. Would it still fly? Would your words be as easy to say? If not, you're probably doing something wrong. You may not know the stranger in the comment forum, but the truth is, behind that profile picture is a human being who is just as valuable as your loved ones. They have rights, they have feelings, they are made in the image of God. Therefore, what you say, and why you say it, matters. So, even if you cannot see their face, put a loved one's face on them. Then think about what you say to them.