![]() ![]() Sociologist and historian Rodney Stark mounted a powerful argument that one of the principal reasons Christianity grew while Roman paganism waned in the 1 st-4 th centuries was because of the mercy Christians displayed toward people who physically suffered, and in particular, how Christians showed mercy during two plagues that ravaged the Roman Empire. Twenty-first century followers of Jesus might profit from viewing a page from our own Christian history as we consider how to navigate this looming crisis known to most as Coronavirus-that is, how to navigate this peril as Christians. But in the midst of all this worry, let’s take a moment and reflect on how Christians dealt with plagues in the past. The focus of these efforts, naturally, is protection of self and others from the spread of the virus. In my section of the world, people are stockpiling hand sanitizers, facemasks, toilet paper, and bottled water, and some have already self-quarantined. COVID-19 is spreading across the globe as I write these words. ![]()
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