The governor of New York encouraged a Baptist congregation to “spread love” and “spread friendship” during the Christmas season rather than the coronavirus as she pleaded with churchgoers to get vaccinated.
According to the Christian Post, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, delivered a video message to Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn on Sunday. She touched on various issues, including gun violence, education, and COVID-19 vaccination.
Hochul’s speech took place as concerns about the omicron variant of the coronavirus have led several colleges and school districts to suspend in-person learning. “So during this holiday season, I have one request. We don’t want to spread COVID.
We will spread love and we will spread friendship and spread the love of Christ during this holiday season,” stated the 63-year-old politician. “Remember why we are together. It was the birth of Christ that we honor and we celebrate. And that is the spirit that fills all of us during Christmas.
And let’s not lose sight of that. We all have each other and we’re going to continue to fight for each other, protect each other because that’s what Christ would want us to do.”
Hochul spoke about her upbringing in the 1960s, describing herself as a member of a “social justice Catholic family where we didn’t just listen to the teachings of Christ on weekends, we also put … those words into action.” “My parents helped start a neighborhood center to help people who had so many needs. And as a child, I went and saw this in person and realized all of us are called to serve,” she continued. READ MORE