Jim Wallis is a man with a prophetic voice in our world today with convictions formed and shaped by God's call for justice now. He is a terrific author and one of the primary voices of reshaping the form of Christian faith and values within the larger marketplace & political realm! He (and other writers) have produced an essay discussing the issue of health care reform designed for use in churches and small groups. It is called the Healthcare Toolkit and offers a very challenging perspective and call on Americans to radically change the health care system. It is found at www.sojourners.com. What follows are my thoughts and interactions with his position.
Wallis' views the world (and health care) through a lens of intense passion for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. The prophetic call for justice by Jeremiah, Amos, & Isaiah shapes his ministry as the founder of Sojourners, an organization exploring the intersection of faith, politics, & culture.
He grounds his argument on the concept of imago dei - that every human regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status is created in the image of God himself. All people have dignity because of their creator and deserve to be treated as such. Therefore, to deny care to a fellow human because of money (or any other reason) essentially denies them their divinely appointed status. The caregiver who refuses the care ascends to a precarious place of power in a worldview where economics displaces empathy & people are reduced to numbers. Wallis taps into the prophetic pulse of Jesus himself and argues the church is commanded to seek the good of the "least of these" & to further allow large interest groups to lobby lawmakers into preserving what is in their best interests is an injustice. He argues for reform that would allow the poor (deserving or not) a means to attain care consistent with their intrinsic worth.
Wallis' views the world (and health care) through a lens of intense passion for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. The prophetic call for justice by Jeremiah, Amos, & Isaiah shapes his ministry as the founder of Sojourners, an organization exploring the intersection of faith, politics, & culture.
He grounds his argument on the concept of imago dei - that every human regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status is created in the image of God himself. All people have dignity because of their creator and deserve to be treated as such. Therefore, to deny care to a fellow human because of money (or any other reason) essentially denies them their divinely appointed status. The caregiver who refuses the care ascends to a precarious place of power in a worldview where economics displaces empathy & people are reduced to numbers. Wallis taps into the prophetic pulse of Jesus himself and argues the church is commanded to seek the good of the "least of these" & to further allow large interest groups to lobby lawmakers into preserving what is in their best interests is an injustice. He argues for reform that would allow the poor (deserving or not) a means to attain care consistent with their intrinsic worth.
I was once asked by a good friend if I thought "health care was a right." I replied that I didn't know. To some degree I am still unsure. However, a portion of my uncertainty (not sure what size portion) is directly tied to the "rights" language - words so closely interwoven with a western sense of entitlement. And yet when I try to view the issue of health care reform through the kingdom of God, as a caregiver I cannot refuse proper care to a person for any reason and call myself a follower of Jesus.
Maybe others can delineate the political issue (with all its economic consequences) from the moral issue to care for the hurting person in front of you. I assume the former allows us to "dehumanize" people in the name of efficiency & sustainability. There is no face on the uninsured hurting with the former. And yet there are the clear economic consequences (for hospitals, doctors, nurses, etc.) of doing everything for free. But how can I even think about supporting a political position that blatantly ignores those most in need? The lines are very blurry here (at least for me). I have very serious questions about the current proposal but insofar as my objections are based on possible personal consequences (i.e. less income), they are sinful. My primary questions about the proposed bill have to do with the quality of health care and involvement of the government in the patient-physician decision-making process? I do think reform needs to happen. But I'm not sure how!
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