A Christian Response to Reopening America’s Economy
By: Diane Tatum
Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Life, Coronavirus, Economy

I woke up this morning with an excerpt on my mind from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol:

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. “Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die?” (p. 56, http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Dickens/Carol/Dickens_Carol.pdf)

I find myself in a quandary about how quickly we should allow free commerce to thrive again in the United States.

Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash

On the one hand, we have the right to make and spend money as before the pandemic. This right places Americans in contact with others after more than 6 weeks of isolation/quarantine/lockdown, practicing social distancing. People in nonessential jobs during the coronavirus epidemic are running out of money, out of food, out of patience, out of medical insurance, and out of other necessities for life. They say, sometimes in protests, Americans have the freedom to work.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31–33, ESV)

On the other hand, officials say that if we are not careful in the manner the economy is opened, the death toll from COVID-19 could be 0.1% of the population. So that’s not that much, right? That 0.1% is equal to around 302,000 Americans. Add the nurses and doctors to that cost as well, who have given their lives to save others.

Is that an acceptable cost to reopen America?

This quandary pits money against human life. In a world where buying groceries is an iffy proposition, even if you have the cash, will a closed economy keep people from eating? Cause people to lose their homes? Dig families into a pit of debt so deep that they will never recover?

Even if we can survive the economic loss, can our governments (state and federal) sustain the losses due to helping people with stimulus checks, unemployment, and the loss of small businesses?

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:5–7, ESV)

How much is human life worth?

When Dr. Oz stated that opening schools would cost 2–3% of the children’s lives, he was censored for thinking that might be acceptable. How could he think such a thing? He retracted his statement. Is the loss of 302,000 worth the cost? What if it was your child? Your mother? The cost feels too much to bear then.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Christianity is all about life, both here and in eternity. That’s why Christian churches help with hospitals, food banks, rescue centers, childcare, trauma teams, reconstruction. The church is defined by Jesus’ words as well as his brother James’s statement about nonpartisan acceptance and service for all.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27, ESV)

If we can serve and save our neighbors by staying home, shouldn’t we? If we have the ability to feed our neighbors, shouldn’t we? We have the moral responsibility as humans to help others. We have a godly responsibility as Christians to love all our neighbors in all the ways they need us to do.

“And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” (Matthew 22:35–40, ESV)

What do we do? Do we go back to work and risk the lives of others and ourselves? Or do we stay at home and do what we can to provide for their needs? Is there another possible solution?