God looking down on health-care summit
In the name of God who -- I was taught -- loves all of us and wants none of us to suffer unduly, I am tired of the wrangling around health-care reform.
I listened to a Republican lawmaker vow that this country would not have socialized medicine, not under any circumstances. I listened to yet another who said that the Republicans want to work on paring down costs for people who already have health insurance, not necessarily make health insurance available to all who do not now have it.
Of course not. That would make it "socialized medicine," right?
I cannot understand how we as a God-fearing nation, as we claim, can be all right with so many people not having access to health care. It baffles me how people we elected can be all right when some children are dying of things as simple, if treated, as a tooth abscess, or how they can be all right when some people cannot get the medicine they need to treat illnesses, like diabetes or hypertension, which, if left untreated, evolve into serious illnesses requiring thousands of dollars to treat.
It is sheer poppycock, or maybe brazen ignorance, to profess belief in God and not care about the people in this nation who cannot get health care. Sure, costs for those of us fortunate enough to have health care are high, but at least we can get the care we need.
God cannot be happy as we turn away from people in need.
I keep coming back to the accusation that wanting health care for everyone is socialism, or sets up a system of socialized medicine. When those two words are said, people prone to being afraid of ideologies step right into their fear and think of Cuba. God forbid we become like them.
But what if one was to think of Australia instead? I talked to a man and woman from Australia last month who said everyone has health care. He explained the system to me, and I didn't fully understand everything, but what I did understand is that the Australian government seems to "get it" that a healthy nation, a nation that cares about people's health ...is a good thing.
All this name calling and divisiveness at the expense of the people has jostled my spirit. I wonder how many people are sitting at home in pain because our Congress cannot get past partisanship and pass a bill?
This nation demands that even the poorest of people pay taxes. Those same "poorest" of people then deserve health care. Having health care is a right; it is an issue of human rights, as a matter of fact. How in the world can we fight for the rights of people in Iraq when we ignore the cries of our own?
By now I have heard as many horror stories as I can stomach from or about people who suffered unduly or who died because they did not have access to health care. Many to most were working, so that debunks the generalization that those opposed to health care that only those too lazy to work are without health care.
I have advised members of my own congregation to try to get a family doctor instead of using the emergency room for health care, but they cannot because doctors will not see them if they do not have health insurance.
The insurance companies pull the reins of this sled, and they are concerned about one thing: their profits. To hell with the people! Poor people cannot bring them money, they only cost, and so Big Insurance is refereeing this race and is making calls on the side of themselves.
I keep asking myself what God would think, this God who created us all and who loves us all. I keep wondering when our Congress will man (and woman) up and start taking risks, political risks, on behalf of the people who elected them?
We religious types like to point out "abominations," and go the Bible to justify our judgments, yet we ignore the Bible as it says, over and over, that we are to be a people who seek justice; we are to take care of each other, and that we cannot serve "God and mammon."
Republicans say trash the bill that's there and start over. Get real. Offer what you have to the existing bill, and stop playing with the lives of people who are in need. Some Democrats are holding back because of ideology and political aspiration as well. Maybe God put you in place for such a time as this, to help pass a bill that will help God's people. Maybe God doesn't want you to serve as long as did Jesse Helms or others.
And if that is the case, this same God will open other doors for you that will feed your passion to serve...if that is in fact what your passion is.
In 1 Chronicles, David tells his son Solomon to "be strong and do the work." David wanted to build God a new temple but God didn't want him to do that; he was a warrior and had blood on his hands. No, the temple would be built by Solomon.
And so David began to advise his son of the difficulty before him ...but he said several times, "Be strong and do the work."
In the name of God, Congress, I ask you as well to "be strong and do the work." The Bible also says for us to be steadfast and immovable...and to know that our work is not in vain.
Surely, getting health-care reform passed would not be an effort done in vain. Surely, though there are costs involved, God will take care of those who have taken care of each other.
Please. Be strong and do the work already. Enough is enough
Senior pastor, Advent United Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio|
February 25, 2010; 8:55 AM ET
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