Martin Luther’s Perspective on a Pandemic

by | Posted April 16th at 2:07pm

As we currently face the COVID-19 pandemic, I found it interesting to read how Martin Luther dealt with a pandemic in his day. When Martin Luther was dealing with The Black Death plague, he wrote these words ¹which I have placed in point form:

I shall ask God mercifully to protect us.
Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it.
I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.
If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others.
If my neighbour needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as … a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.

¹ Luther’s Works Volume 43, pg 132, the letter “Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague” written to Rev. Dr. John Hes

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