“Fatalism”
“We are all fatalists when it suits us.” (DTEB)
I encountered a person the other day who does not think covid-19 is a big deal. There are a lot of folks who take this approach. The person said, “When it’s my time to go, I will die.” Ironically, we had this brief conversation very early in the morning when we were both exercising. It was already hot and humid. Presumably, the fact that we were both exercising indicates that we both believe that exercise can help us to live longer—or at least better. We are all fatalists, but only when it suits us.
Taking care of our bodies is not a huge theme in the Bible, but it is a theme. One of the verses that is not about taking care of our bodily life, but simply assumes it is Ephesians 5:29: “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it . . . .” (English Standard Version)
Note that this verse is not about taking care of our bodies. In its context, it is part of Paul’s command to Christian husbands to love their wives as they love their own bodies. Paul is also saying that husbands should love their lives just as Christ loved the church. Since Christ died for the church, this means that being a husband is a high and demanding calling.
However, while vs. 29 is not about taking care of our bodies, notice that the verse assumes that we do! The fact that Paul can assume this self-concern tells us that, when it came to our bodies, Paul was not a fatalist. He believed that what we do with our bodies and what we do with our relationships makes a difference.
Of course, even though I wear a mask and avoid contact with folks as much as possible, I am also a fatalist when it suits me. I am a practicing fatalist when I refuse to exercise and when I eat a lot of sweets, just to mention two areas where I struggle.
But here is the bottom line for me: When fatalism is my go-to, I am not taking responsibility for my own actions. Yes, there is indeed the biblical saying “. . . a time to die . . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). But the same wise man who wrote these words is also credited with saying, “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” (Proverbs 22:3, English Standard Version)
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