The COVID-19 pandemic has had horrendous consequences for much of the world with huge swathes of serious illness and alarming rates of premature death. Surprisingly, some of the most affluent and technologically sophisticated countries have been the worst affected. The current article aims to investigate this counterintuitive state of affairs by reference to a small country, New Zealand, that has escaped the worst effects of the pandemic. Some of the lessons that emerge include the prominent role played by science in undergirding political decision-making, decisive empathic leadership, and the subsequent high level of trust placed by the community in the political decision makers. The willingness of political leaders to listen to scientific advice and enter into dialogue with public health specialists and epidemiologists stood out as exemplary. *The dominant messages coming from the political leadership at the height of the pandemic highlighted the importance of community, the interests of one's neighbors, and the need to treat each other with kindness and consideration. While these were not put forward as Christian standards, they bear striking resemblance to the Christian values of loving one's neighbor, living for each other, putting the interests of others before one's own interests, and demonstrating the gifts of the Spirit. It was these that enabled the country to live through an early very harsh lockdown aimed at "eliminating" the virus from the population. While the New Zealand situation cannot be precisely replicated in much larger countries, many of the lessons coming out of the New Zealand experience throw considerable light on how reliable, insightful science and responsible leadership can bring glory to God and protect human dignity and worth.