Christian Conduct in a Pandemic

I’ve already written here on a what I believe to be the big-picture Kingdom perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But I’ve been distressed by the laissez faire attitude many Christians have displayed toward the pandemic and the possibility of contracting the virus.

I chalk much of this up to ignorance and the rest to selfishness.

The question is this: What does King Jesus require of Christians in the midst of the current pandemic?

Of course, there is not a one-size-fits all answer. Some of my Christian friends are doctors and nurses working in the healthcare industry. They will likely be asked by Jesus to make take a much bigger risk and make a bigger sacrifice than others.

For the rest of us, though, I think there are at least three principles that should guide our conduct during the pandemic:

  • Don’t kill others. This should be a no-brainer, but I am shocked at how many people joke about or ignore social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. It’s this simple: You can contract COVID-19, have no symptoms for 14 days, and give it to someone else, who dies as a result. Even if it is not likely to kill you, it could kill someone through you. It doesn’t matter whether you intended to kill someone; the person that dies from your negligence is just as dead as the person who is murdered. Don’t kill others.

 

  • Lead others. By lead others I mean to encourage others not to kill people. It’s the Christian thing to do. Kingdom citizens are called to lead the world. Isaiah 2:2. To lead is to influence people to do the things that they should do but wouldn’t otherwise do on their own. Right now the thing that not all people are doing but should be doing is acting responsibly to keep from contracting or spreading the virus. Leading also means being a leader in your work as it relates to the pandemic. In my job as an employment lawyer it means learning as much as I can about the new laws relating to the pandemic to help my clients make the best decisions for their businesses and their employees.

 

  • Share with others. John wrote that the early Christians overcame persecution by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and by not loving their lives even unto death. Rev. 12:11. Sharing your testimony with others just means telling others about what King Jesus has done for you and why you hope in Him. I Peter 3:15-16. As the world sees that science, technology, and money are not enough to guarantee their safety during the pandemic they will start looking to God. It always happens. Call it foxhole conversions or whatever. Regardless of what it is that gets people to seek, Christians need to be there to help provide an answer.

Be safe, be a leader, and tell your story. GS.

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