In 1945 the world knew full well the power of the atomic bomb, because it had been put on display. From that point on people lived with a new reality: a bomb could be dropped from the sky that could wipe an entire city from the face of the earth.

How does someone live with that sort of possibility in their life? How are you supposed to get up, go to work in morning, raise your family, celebrate a birthday, or mourn at a funeral when you don’t know if this is the day that bomb will drop?

Or, what about you and I and today? How are we supposed to live our lives in the age of annual epidemics and pandemics, natural disasters, political upheavals, and war?

Three years later, in 1948, that sort of question was offered up to C. S. Lewis, and this was part of his response.

“ ‘How are we to live in an atomic age?’ I am tempted to reply: Why as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat in any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, or an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, and age of motor accidents.
In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways.
This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be take is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing our children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

These are wise words from a wise Christian, which I commend to you for your consideration. And, although I don’t think I disagree with anything Lewis said in his response, I feel compelled to clarify or fill-out a couple of his points. Allow me to do so here.

Lewis said we have already been sentenced to death.
This is true. Our corruption—due to the fall—is total and inescapable. “The compensation due sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a, LEB). However, because of what Jesus has done, death does not have the final say. Through his life, death, and resurrection, those who trust in him—although they will die—will live. “…but the gift of of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23b, LEB). Death is real. But, in Jesus, life is realer.
Lewis said our first action is to pull ourselves together.
He describes what that (pulling ourselves together) looks like: doing sensible and human things. Again, I don’t disagree, but I just want to point out that real humanity is found in connection with Jesus. There is only one true human who has ever lived and that was him. I expect that Lewis would amen this point and agree with the point that we must draw near to him and, in this drawing near, we are indeed pulling ourselves together. In that sense let us pray, work, teach, read, listen to music, bathe our children, play tennis, and chat to our friends over a pint and a game of darts. “…whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, LEB).
Lewis said he does not want us to be huddled together like frightened sheep.
Amen to that! We have a good shepherd who’s job it is to look after his sheep, and his name Jesus. “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16, LEB) Therefore, let us stand with confidence knowing that “whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8b, LEB).