In times of a medical crisis, we turn to prayer – and trusted physicians.

My friend Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is one of the most brilliant medical doctors I know, and I was honoured and delighted to welcome him onto the Focus on the Family radio broadcast today to discuss the herculean challenge we face with the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Collins has served as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2009. In his role, he oversees much of our country’s biomedical research. A trained physician-geneticist, Dr. Collins spearheaded the international Human Genome Project, a groundbreaking effort that led to the deciphering of the human DNA instruction book.

Notably, Dr. Collins, who was once an avowed atheist, is now a strong believer in Jesus Christ and tackles all his tasks with the confidence that comes with the assurance found in his faith.

On today’s program, we waded into very practical matters. Anxiety is running high in our country, and I thought it would be helpful to separate the fact from the fiction.

Dr. Collins confirmed what we’ve known – we’re in a very serious season, and it’s going to take the public’s cooperation to overcome this challenge. If our citizens don’t take the significant preventative steps and heed the advice of officials, we could potentially see between 1 and 1.5 million deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the next year.

At the same time, Dr. Collins mentioned we should be encouraged by the rapid progress being made to develop more vaccines. 

What should you do if one person in a family is diagnosed with the virus?

Dr. Collins said it should be assumed that everybody in the home is exposed and then self-quarantine for 14 days. Nobody in that household should be out circulating in public. You might feel okay, but you could be actively spreading the virus.

Even as believers who enjoy the promise of eternal security, it’s easy to feel anxious about the current circumstances. Yet, as the doctor suggested, the Christian’s response to this crisis must be sober – but also courageous and steadfast.

We shouldn’t fear the coronavirus. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). According to Dr. Collins, it’s a moment for Christians to step up to serve their fellow neighbour in loving and generous ways.

As we pray for the Lord to turn this situation around, please remember to pray specifically for all the healthcare workers who are on the front lines of this battle.

India is at the forefront of economic growth – but we still can’t do this all on our own. We’re in desperate need of God’s insight and divine intervention.

To quote the hymnist, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.”