Since the Women of Faith Moving Millions, Girl, go wild, post, I've been to Jamaica for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, and then Louisville, KY for the third Babel Table of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Global peace movement, denominational boldness declaring we no longer want to live out of our racist, sexist, and classist realities. Instead of building a tower of power, we want to sit at God's table of reconciliation.
For now, I've had a request to share a post from a former blog. I posted this on the First Christian Church, Omaha Nebraska's blog on August 20, 2009. As their Associate Minister I worked with this congregation, and other pastor's in the community to advocate for a humane health care system. As a minister, it is still my prayer that we can expand our faith by supporting one another.
There are 46 million people in the United States who do have healthcare.
In Nebraska:
1400 families spend $14,000 a year on health insurance
220 Nebraskans lose insurance every week due to high cost
100 Nebraskans die each year due to no insurance.
As Christians we are called to love our neighbor and care for those on the margins. This can sound good in theory, but it can be difficult to fully live out this biblical mandate. When our neighbors are sick, or those on the margins seem to be asking so very much of me, I try to remember Mark 2:1-6.
When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was repotted that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sings are forgiven.”
How heavy was the paralytic man? How long did his friends carry him? How long had they known one another? These are questions we don’t have answers to; but we do know that these four friends were willing to carry their friend, needing care, to the one who could provide this care. We also know that it was the faith and love of these four friends that led to this healing. True friendship is a genuine miracle and one that only grows with every new meeting. Being impeded by the crowd was not enough to stop them. This hurdle only led them to dig through the roof of a building to ensure the care and dignity of their sick friend.
How far are you willing to carry your neighbor? What neighbor would carry you through a roof to ensure your care? I hope you have people willing to give their time, energy and love to care for you. I know that we all have enough love to share with one another to ensure that all people can be loved and cared for in the ways this gentleman was.
There are many statements and information flying through the media airwaves regarding the Health Care Reform. As people of faith we know this is a tremendous opportunity to live more deeply into the Kingdom God created for everyone. We have the opportunity to see Jesus’ radical inclusion and love extended to all people. We have the great joy to be like these four friends and bring about healing for all our neighbors. People of faith from all over the country are uniting together for this tremendous moment, for the Kingdom of God is breaking forth before us and we have a chance to usher it into legislative policy. If you would like to listen to what some of our nations’ faith leaders said to President Obama, please click on the link below.
If you are interested in learning more about the faith perspective on this issue please see Rev. Rene’s RRR from last week or visit the following link.
Together we can create a system where all are seen as neighbors rather than strangers; and all can offer and receive care.
Peace,
Robyn
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