COVID-19 AND THE VALUE OF LIFE
IS IT POSSIBLE TO VALUE LIFE TOO HIGHLY?
Key Facts
As of November 18, the Center for Disease Control has reported that in the United States, there have been over 11.3 million coronavirus cases and nearly 250,000 deaths. [1]
A growing number of scientists, doctors, and medical professionals are becoming concerned that some of the lockdown and social distancing measures still being taken are not worth the toll they take. Over 34,000 medical practitioners and 12,000 medical and public health scientists have signed the Great Barrington Declaration, which calls for a more nuanced approach to fighting the coronavirus. [2]
Key Scriptures
Acts 20:24 “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Philippians 1:21-22 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”
Revelation 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
James 4:13-17 “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Want to Know More?
Russell Moore - God Doesn’t Want Us to Sacrifice the Old
Desiring God - A Call for Christian Risk
Good Book Blog - Principles and reflections in the midst of the Global Pandemic by COVID-19
ABC7 - Stanford University doctor leads global health argument criticizing COVID-19 restrictions
Advocates for Truth - Questioning the Quarantine
Advocates for Truth - Video with Dr. Bhattacharya
Application
Amid a new wave of COVID-19 cases this winter, increased restrictions and limitations are being imposed to try and stop further spread and protect vulnerable lives. However, thousands of doctors, scientists, and medical professionals have signed the Great Barrington Declaration. After nearly a year, we now have a better understanding of the risks posed by COVID-19 and who is most vulnerable. These experts question whether continuing these harsh quarantine measures is wise in light of the other unintended consequences of the restrictions.
Such a statement may embolden some Christians to take greater risks with regard to COVID-19. As Christians, it is important that we have a proper value of life and the ability to wisely assess risk. To many, it seems like the heavy-handedness of the restrictions is no longer proportionate to the risks posed by COVD-19. To put the question bluntly, some are asking, “Are all of these restrictions worth saving a few lives when other dangers like famine, disease, and depression/suicidality threaten so many lives globally? Is it possible that we are valuing our own lives too highly?” While this article won’t seek to address what policies we should put in place towards COVID-19, it will seek to address a Christian understanding of the value of life and assessing risk.
What Does the Bible Say?
The Bible tells us that humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Being in God’s image gives every individual immeasurable worth and value, to the point that murder (maliciously destroying God’s image-bearer) is punishable by the death penalty (Genesis 9:6). When we speak to the issue of abortion, we address it from the perspective that the fetus has inestimable value that is worth protecting (Psalm 139:13-18, Jeremiah 1:5). That same ethic carries to every human alive today. Our love for neighbor compels us to value and treasure the lives of others as well (Romans 13:10). We should never diminish the value of any individual life. God is the one who numbers the very hairs of our head (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7). Thus, we should never underestimate the value of life unless we think that we can esteem God’s image too highly.
On the other hand, the Bible also describes human life as a mist, as grass---something which quickly fades, which is here today and gone tomorrow (James 4:14, Psalm 39:5, Isaiah 40:6-8). This is especially true when compared to the everlasting God whom we worship. In the grand scheme of eternity, our individual human lives seem to hold little significance.
Finding a Balance
How do Christians balance these contrasting biblical values of the immeasurable worth yet relative insignificance of human life?
While we should not underestimate the value of life, we can hold to life too tightly. Because we have eternal life through Jesus (John 3:16), we do not live life as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We know that we have an eternal inheritance waiting for us upon the end of our earthly lives (1 Peter 1:3-5). Thus, as Paul writes, “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). His future hope allowed Paul to live missionally here on earth: “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me” (Philippians 1:22). Paul was fully invested in the kingdom of God and wanted to use his human life to spread the gospel. He told the church at Ephesus, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). He was willing to lay his own life down and count it as nothing in comparison to serving Christ. He considered any fleshly thing that he could boast of as rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ as Lord (Philippians 3:7-11).
Scripture, therefore, seems to call all Christians to lay down our lives for the sake of the gospel (Matthew 16:24-26). This doesn’t mean that our lives become worthless, but in Christ, they find new purpose and worth beyond themselves. While, in and of themselves, our lives have relative insignificance, in Christ, they find a far greater significance.
Assessing Risk
This gospel truth causes us to live in such a way that takes risks for the kingdom of God. Because our lives find their ultimate significance and worth in Christ and because we have that eternal security, we can easily lay our lives down for God’s kingdom and take risks.
However, this does not mean that we should live our lives recklessly or without using wisdom (Proverbs 4:5, 14:16, 22:3). Proverbs 27:12 says, “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” While we can live for the kingdom of God without regard to our lives, this does not mean that God will always call us into high-risk situations. We should not mistake high-risk situations for God’s will. Often, God does call us to take risks. But at other times, God will guide us away and protect us from danger. Protecting our lives for the sake of our children, our spouses, for ministering to the church, and for impacting this world for the kingdom of God is just as necessary as risking our lives for those same purposes. The amount of risk that we take should be more determined by the needs of others rather than with regard to our own preferences. Risks should not be taken lightly but must be discerned by seeking the Lord’s will in prayer, his Word, and his Church.
Application to COVID-19
While we can risk our own lives for the sake of the gospel, what about risking the lives of others? Here, Christians must exercise much greater caution. It is one thing to prayerfully risk our own lives for a greater purpose, but intentionally risking the lives of others (especially without their knowledge or consent) does not align with the Bible’s values of promoting life and love of neighbor. Of course, it is impossible to live life completely free from risk, either to ourselves or others. For example, driving on the road necessarily involves some risk to ourselves and to others. We do not cease driving simply because a small risk exists. Yet, taking unnecessary risks which endanger the lives of others is not something that reflects our pro-life values.
When thinking about COVID-19, there will be a complicated mixture of risks and assessments that must be made. To what extent should we risk our own lives when considering the dangers of COVID-19? To what extent should we collectively risk meeting together for church and under what conditions? To what extent should churches or individuals follow the government’s mandates on COVID-19 restrictions? These questions will all require wisdom and discernment and different Christians and churches may come to different conclusions depending on their situation.
Regardless, as Christians, we must live in such a way that reflects our pro-life values and does not needlessly endanger the lives of others with the risk of a COVID-19 infection that could lead to their death. At the same time, the mere possibility of risk should not stop us from doing anything at all, especially when doing nothing and abiding by the strictest quarantine measures poses its own set of risks. Christians can have a healthy assessment of risk and live their lives accordingly in all wisdom.
Conclusion
Human life has inestimable worth and value, being made in the image of God. Yet, when compared with eternal things, human life is fleeting and insignificant. Through Jesus, Christians have a new value and purpose in life which extends beyond our earthly lives and into eternity. This allows us to live our lives here on earth with complete assurance and hope of what follows after death. At times, this can lead us to greater risk-taking for the sake of the gospel. At the same time, we should not live recklessly or needlessly endanger the lives of others. Our pro-life beliefs must inform how we love our neighbors, even while we acknowledge that life cannot be lived devoid of risk.