FaithMarks for May 6, 2025: Facing the Plague with Courage and Compassion

When the plague returned to Wittenberg in 1527, Martin Luther was urged to leave.

Friends, colleagues, even officials begged him to flee for his life. He was, after all, a leader in the Protestant Reformation—too important to lose. But Luther refused.

Instead, he opened his home as a hospital, caring for the sick alongside his pregnant wife, Katharina. Disease ravaged their city. It came to their doorstep. And they stayed.

Why?

Because Luther believed that faith expresses itself in love—especially when it’s costly (Galatians 5:6).

That same year, he penned a remarkable letter titled “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague.” In it, he counseled Christians to trust God but not to tempt Him with foolishness. He encouraged reasonable precautions and faith-filled compassion.

“Use medicine,” he wrote, “take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence.”

To Luther, medicine and faith worked hand in hand. But more than anything, love was the motivator. He challenged pastors and civic leaders not to abandon their flocks. He spoke against reckless behavior that endangered others. But he also extended grace to those whose faith was weak and felt they had to flee.

Luther didn’t stay because he had no fear. He stayed because he had a shepherd’s heart—one shaped by the Good Shepherd Himself, Jesus, who did not flee the cross.

In an age still recovering from our modern plagues—both literal (Covid-19) and spiritual—Luther’s wisdom resonates. The Christian response to crisis is not panic or pride, but faithful, compassionate presence.

Luther’s courage in 1527 is a FaithMark worth remembering. May we be found faithful in our day as well.