Featured as a back-of-page article in the CSABC Quarterly Letter of March 2020
by David Kadylak
Christians in the past, particularly in the early church, have been able to make use of plagues to bring about God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Be equipped and prepared to share the hope of the Gospel with those, by being inspired by Christian scientists and Christian laypeople of the past. Herein, I have collated a number of good reads that can help in your journey of understanding of plagues from a Christian perspective and what Christians in the past have done with what God permits.
Rodney Stark, who started out as an unbelieving sociologist, has written about how Christianity, and particularly a straightforward understanding of the Bible, brought about by the Reformation was at foundation of modern science, and could not have arisen in any other culture. In a separate book, The Rise of Christianity, he sheds light on how nearly half the Roman Empire became Christian within three centuries. For one, they were able to better survive the first two great epidemics because of the support networks Christians had. But by the love they showed, they won their neighbors that others would not care for and left to die. A great quote from Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, in an Easter letter at the height of the 2nd great epidemic around AD 260.
Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departing this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead…. The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom.
Devout Christians have been the ones to lead the way to our understanding of germ theory of disease and disproving spontaneous generation, required for biological evolution to start, basing antiseptics and good medical hygiene procedures, things now taken for granted, by affirming of the principles God laid out for quarantining in Leviticus. Read more about the life of Joseph Lister https://creation.com/joseph-lister-father-of-modern-surgery and Louis Pasteur https://creation.com/louis-pasteur.
The most impactful scientist of all time, Isaac Newton, who believed in a recent creation, was in quarantine during the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666. Yet he was able to make great progress on calculus and his theories in gravity and optics. Read more about him at https://creation.com/sir-isaac-newton-1642-1727
Finally, our understanding of viruses and microbes have come a long way and probably not what you’ve thought or learned in the past. Dr Robert Carter of Creation Ministries International has written an excellent web article called Coronaviruses in Creation on https://creation.com/wuhan-coronavirus, along with two accompanying videos. Another great explanation of details surrounding what is known about this novel coronavirus is given by Dr. Joe Francis of The Master’s University and found at https://answersingenesis.org/coronavirus/covid19-coronavirus-and-creation-virology/
Ultimately we know that God is in control and history will unfold as he has planned. May we make the most of our time here on earth, knowing full well we will all have to face death at some point, whether it be from a disease or natural causes at old age. May we look to God for wisdom to love Him first and love our neighbour as ourselves.