It comes as a shock to many people when they hear it, but most viruses are good for you and good for the environment. Yet, Covid-19 is clearly not good. From a big picture point of view, Christians see all evil and sickness in the world as related to the Fall of mankind, caused by the disobedience of the first man, Adam.

The initial creation had no disease, yet diseases have arisen over the past 6,000 years. Thus, the emergence of another SARS-like virus is not a surprise. The Spanish Flu killed tens of millions of people in the 1918–1920 pandemic. Yet, it quickly weakened, becoming no more dangerous than the seasonal flu before eventually going extinct in 2009. But the coronavirus is not the flu—we cannot wait decades for genetic entropy to take its toll. We need to listen to the expert advice we are being given. We also need to do our civic, and biblical, duty to protect others and ourselves from infection.

Viruses are part of God’s created order. They play many beneficial roles. Yet, we live in a sin-cursed world with much suffering, death, and disease. God has promised us neither long life nor good health. But He has promised to redeem our disease-wracked bodies. Thus, the hope of Christianity is not ultimately in vaccines or cures, but in complete healing and wholeness in the New Heavens and New Earth. In the meantime, let’s use wisdom and good health practices in this difficult situation.

• Carter, R., Coronaviruses in creation, creation.com/covid-19, 6 Feb 2020.