Articles
Saving Other's Lives in the Pandemic
As the weeks begin to change to months and seasons move from cold to hot, we see more discussions and debates regarding when we should move toward returning to activities with others. The debate is not without special significance to the Christian. This is especially true as medical authorities warn that ignoring the safety measures can have a direct and sometimes fatal impact on older adults and more so on those older persons who have other underlying health issues. Therefore, this Pandemic now requires another decision or a series of decisions governing how we will protect others who may have more difficult challenges. The Christian is no stranger historically in dealing with hard decisions that he or she has addressed in school, colleges, the military, and all careers. This is not to ignore the difficult decisions made outside of employment, such as family and social issues. Some of these decisions, like in the Pandemic we face now, involved making a choice to abstain or participate in some behavior that would impact our health or other’s health. Others impacted our life’s work and earnings. Still others impacted where we would live and who we would associate with. However, all decisions impacted our relationship with God as we saw the results of our decisions unfold. This brings up the question, as we enter the world again, how do we protect others? Perhaps this requires a process for righteous decisions? Being warned about the fact that some individuals have a greater danger of death from the virus requires us to examine our behavior, including the safety rules we all know. Our decisions on being in a large crowd, the use of masks, avoidance of some places, washing our hands, and remaining alert all have an impact on protecting people. What people? Let us look at God’s view of people in our search for what our answers should be. We are immediately reminded of John 3:16 that so many quote. He loved us, the people, so much that He gave His only Son to die for us that we might have everlasting life. Does that mean He loves the richer, the smarter, the taller, or one ethnic group more than others? We all know that is not true. The Bible is clear: God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). Therefore, in making a decision, we must be careful not to lower the value of the elderly, those with special needs, those who are poor, or those of a different culture. With that in mind, our decision on how we should act and what decisions we should make is becoming clearer. God loves us, and He values each one of us, perhaps more than we know. He understands the plight we are in thinking about how to protect others and still interact. However, His example demonstrates that it is our assignment to figure that out based on what He told us about His love for human beings. The answer is there
