MWR : Health care and spirituality

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Sept. 21, 2009 issue

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Tags: Letters U.S. politics

Health care and spirituality

By Donald Blosser Goshen, Ind.

In discussions about health care, the spiritual dimension is missing.

When we focus only on keeping what we have, even though that means millions of others will continue to not have, how does the spirit of Christ come alive through us? When we ignore what our faith requires in helping those less fortunate, we replace God as the center of our being and in God’s place insert ourselves and our own needs. We have become selfish and greedy. This blinds us to the needs of our neighbors. We are afraid to listen to them because they might challenge our security and comfort. God calls us to hear their voice.

The current political discussion is bringing out the worst in us. We have allowed it to become a divisive political issue of money, greed and self-protection rather than a religious issue of health and wholeness for all people. We want health care for ourselves, but if helping our neighbor means we will have to share our doctor, our hospital access, our essential drug benefits or even a small bit of our own money, we set our faith aside and put ourselves at the head of the line, refusing to heed the struggles and stress faced by our neighbors, all the while telling them that God loves them, even though we effectively ignore them.

Let’s reflect again on the generosity of God so that we will reach out to the poor and the uninsured around us. Let’s show that the people of God care about others with the same self-giving intensity that God shows in caring about us. Health care is not just a political issue. It is a matter of faith and obedience to God.

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