Our Christian Testimony During Crises
“They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. ”
Christians throughout history have maintained a powerful testimony of the Christian faith by their uncommon courage and fearlessness. This is one of the primary reasons for the rapid growth and widespread acceptance of Christianity. Even in places where persecution is intense and the incidence of martyrdom is high, men and women risk their lives to worship and follow Jesus Christ. Despite threats of harm and death, these Christians boldly proclaim Christ by their powerful testimony both in words and deeds.
When we are prepared to die for a cause, nothing can stop us. Christians who for the sake of the gospel are prepared to put their lives on the line are unstoppable. They overcome the devil and his demonic forces. These are the overcomers that the risen Christ talked about at the end of each of His letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. These are the ones who will receive the crown of life and many other eternal rewards.
The church history is replete with many such heroes of faith. Most of them were ordinary people, and they serve as examples for us.
General Christian Response to the Coronavirus Epidemic
During this present coronavirus crisis, I observe the responses of Christians individually and collectively. At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, I venture to say that generally, our responses leave much to be desired. Juxtaposed against the Word of God and historic Christian responses during severe crises, we fall remarkably short. Many believers cringe in fear and we think more about our own safety than how we should respond appropriately for the glory of God. We fail to seize the opportunity to demonstrate faith instead of fear and testify of the power of Christ, which is at work in His church. Most of the responses are no different from those who are without hope in Christ. We miss the opportunity to shine for our Lord and Christ.
You may opine that I am a little too harsh and somewhat critical. I beg to disagree. Consider how believers in the early church and the first few centuries responded to crises. Perhaps many Christians do not know enough of church history.
The Early Christians’ Response to Plagues & Pestilences
Plagues and pestilences were common in those days. Unlike today, the hygiene standard was low and medical care backward. When a severe epidemic struck, many people fell casualty. It was not uncommon to see entire communities devastated. The two big epidemics in the Roman Empire in AD 165 and AD 251 claimed up to fifty percent of lives in entire towns and cities.
Therefore, once people realised that the disease was contagious, they would abandon even their family members in the streets. It was cruel, but that was the harsh reality of those times.
Many doctors, not knowing how to treat their patients and fearing for their own lives, fled the cities and towns and hide in the countryside.
However, the early church responded counter intuitively. Informed by their Judeo-Christian values and ethics and constrained by the love of God, the Christian communities rose to the occasion. They cared not only for their own sick but also for whoever that was left in the streets to die. They took the sick and dying to shelters and nursed them at the risk of getting themselves infected. As you would have guessed, many of them died as a result. In this way, the Christians demonstrated their faith and showed their love for total strangers.
Here is an excerpt that is taken from the book, The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark. Dionysius, a bishop in the third century, wrote the following in a letter: “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 departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbours and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead…. The best of 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.”
Simply remarkable! That was one of the primary reasons the church of Jesus Christ took the Roman Empire by storm. Who would not be impressed and shaken by such a courageous testimony of faith? These early Christians“did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Revelation 12:11).
Remarkable Christian Testimony of the Early Church
I quote Rodney Stark again: “Crisis produced by natural or social disasters have often been translated into crises of faith.”
Well said! In the face of destructive plagues and pestilences, the early Christians had to decide how they would respond. To abandon their own towns and cities to seek refuge in the countryside would be a safe bet. Not to take in and care for those sick and dying in the streets would be a safe and reasonable thing to do. However, their conscience would not permit them to look the other way and ignore the plight of the unsaved. They, who possessed eternal hope in Christ, chose to willingly lay down their lives for the sake of those who were lost.
They did just that and people, including their critics, were convinced that the Christian faith was distinctively and remarkably different from all the other pagan religions. What a testimony!
The Chinese Church’s Response
The church in China, where the coronavirus originated, is emulating the early followers of Christ in Christian testimony.
I read an article in the Christian Post. The headline reads, “Christians risk lives to help fight coronavirus in China as death toll skyrockets.” The city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus plague, is under lockdown by the government. Tens of thousands, perhaps more, of people in the city have been infected. Most people are staying indoor. But these brave Chinese Christians are out on the streets providing aid to those in need and distributing protective masks and food to people.
The pastors and leaders are taking the lead and showing the way. They see this as a practical way to show love to the people in need and spread the gospel.
Crises Are Opportune Time to Preach the Gospel
One final thought.
Rodney Stark observed that the “pagan religions, reasoning and philosophy were unable to explain the epidemic, while Christianity offered a more satisfactory account of why these terrible times had fallen upon humanity, and projected hopeful and enthusiastic portrait of the future.”
We have the answer as to why terrible things happen. We have the solution in the Person of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, and we have the hope of everlasting life. We have the gospel.
Crises are the best opportunities for us to preach the gospel and advance the Kingdom of God. We preach by telling the lost that Jesus Christ is our refuge and our fortress, and He is our Healer. We preach by our action, demonstrating our faith and trust in our God, Most High. Playing it safe, overreaction and succumbing to fear and paranoia are at best unhelpful and at worst a terrible testimony of our God, whom we claim to be sovereign over the heavens and the earth.
People are watching how we, Christians, respond in crises like this coronavirus epidemic. We have the answer. Therefore, let us speak and act accordingly in faith and boldness instead of in fear and cowardice.
Maintaining a powerful Christian testimony in times of crises is of paramount importance! It can mean eternal salvation or loss for the unsaved people around us. So, do not love your life so much as to shrink from death.
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua