The Theology of Sanitizer

Before the Covid 19 virus I rarely used hand sanitizer. I am not much of a germ-a-phobic, but months of spraying my hands after grocery shopping is creating a new habit for me. And, from what I’ve observed, I am not the only one. I can just imagine two years from now passing the peace in church and then afterwards watching everyone sanitizing their hands.  

Sanitizing goes beyond cleaning; it means killing all the germs. It is interesting that another definition of sanitizing pertains to making something less offensive by eliminating anything that is unwholesome, objectionable, or incriminating. The combination of these two definitions provides the basis for the theology of sanitizer. I can now be cleaned both physically and spiritually. The need to be physically sanitized is the new normal in the age of Covid. Even before Covid it has been common practice, especially during the Flu season, for the pastor and those participating in the Communion Service to use hand sanitizer. Receiving the Bread and Cup from clean hands allows me to receive without the underlying and distracting fear of getting sick. 

But what about me. Shouldn’t I have clean hands too? I could make Communion unclean for others by touching the Cup or the Pastor’s hands. As for the second sanitize definition, there is something more to be concerned about. You see I carry more than physical germs; I carry sins. I need to sanitize, to eliminate all that is unwholesome, unholy, and objectionable within me. If I expect my Pastor to have clean hands to receive Jesus at the table, I think Jesus would expect me to wash my hands before coming to the table as well. This is both a physical and spiritual washing. One done with hand sanitizer, the other with confession. Most of our liturgies have, in the beginning, a time confession and an assurance of pardon. We acknowledge our individual sins, the times when we acted without love, and for the times when we failed to act with love. We can sanitize our own hands, but only Christ can sanitize our sin. 

I think when we return fully to worship, I will still use the hand sanitizer, and I’ll ask Jesus to sanitize my soul as well.