The Coronavirus threat has literally made headlines all across the globe. Just today, the first confirmed cases have made it to Pennsylvania. I walked into the hospital the other day
with a large sign near the entrance. On the sign were some words in bold print, cautioning each visitor to assess their current symptoms, where they had traveled recently, and what precautions to take if there was some suspicion that they might have “the virus”. With growing fears of a worldwide virus pandemic, the question of whether you are contagious is a serious one for many people. A contagious person can infect others. This virus is easily passed from one person to another through a variety of means. Without a vaccine for the threat, health officials attempt to deal with those who are contagious through the use of quarantine, isolation, and avoiding exposure to them.
When associated with a potentially life-threatening virus, being “contagious” certainly has a negative overtone. Yet, as Christians, we are called to be just as contagious as that virus – only with our faith that gives life. In the early church in Jerusalem, the faith of a few contagious disciples quickly spread to literally thousands around the city. Here in Romans 1:8, Paul says to the Christians that “your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world”. I don’t think that was an exaggeration. We know that the Roman government tried their best in the early days of the church to stomp out what they saw as the “virus” of Christianity. The faith that people had in Christ was changing lives, it was infecting others, it was spreading quickly, and they had no philosophy or antidote that could stop it. So, dealing with it like a public health risk, they tried to quarantine, isolate and avoid exposure to them (often by burning them at the stake).
How does this apply to us today? First, ask yourself this question – are you “infected” with a faith in Jesus Christ? You need to acknowledge your sin, receive Jesus Christ’s payment on the cross, believe that He rose again from the dead, and accept him as your Savior. It will change your life and secure an eternal relationship with God.
If you are born again and have put your faith in Christ – is it a contagious faith? Do people all around you recognize you as a “carrier”? We should be walking with the Lord, having a way of life, and verbally sharing our faith in such a consistent manner that everyone around us knows of our faith in Jesus Christ. Not everyone will become “infected” and make faith in Christ their own, but everyone should be exposed to this life-giving faith. So, don’t quarantine or isolate your faith from others – be a contagious Christian!