Living in the Spirit
July 22, 2018
Scripture Reading: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. – Mark 6:53-56
The USA is in a healthcare crisis resulting in a tug of war between meeting the basic health care needs of its citizens and supporting a financially thriving for-profit healthcare industry. Forcing we the people to struggle with the answer to the question: Is healthcare a right or a privilege? The situation is much more complicated than that.
In the USA hospitals are mandated to provide at least a minimum level of care to people who present to their emergency rooms with life-threatening conditions. Such care is the most expensive care available. Every one of those admittances contributes to the cost of everyone’s health insurance whether they ever use it or not. Every patient who arrives at the hospital in the throes of a major heart attack or stroke as his or her first contact with health care for many years, costs each of us far more than assuring people have affordable, accessible preventive care perhaps taking a baby aspirin each day or being prescribed medication for high blood pressure. Every woman whose first medical contact during their pregnancies is coming to the ER in labor has a much higher risk of problems with the birth and ongoing problems for the baby.
Our health is dependent in many ways on the good health of others. Can you imagine living in a world like Jesus did where the sick are outcasts on the streets possibly spreading contagion, dying leaving rotting corpses? I do not think any of us want that, but it is still a reality in parts of our world today.
Jesus devoted much of his time to healing. Our healing as the Body of Christ in the world today comes through our assuring that health care is available and affordable to all, that there are adequate well-trained professionals to offer care, and that we can contribute compassion and care as needed.
Prayer: Lord, help us identify our roles as healers today as we work toward health justice for all. Amen.