"Those Reds are Afraid They Might Have to Pay for Some Healthcare!"

There isn't hardly a day that goes by lately when you don't hear or read something in the news about the healthcare overhaul. And if you're listening at all, you can hear many opinions from the people you encounter daily. So I wasn't surprised when I took my son to get his haircut and heard one of the stylists comment on healthcare. But this particular comment was aimed at Christians, and it got me thinking.

This is what he said:
"Boy, those Reds are getting fired up, they're afraid they might have to pay for some healthcare!" (It took me a second to realize "reds" meant republicans.) He continued. "You know what's ironic is that these same people who are so pro-life, pro-God, pro-Christian, pro-everything are the same people who don't want healthcare reform! They talk a good talk, but when it comes down to it, they don't put the pudding where their mouth is."

Now, nevermind that he made sweeping generalizations about republicans and Christians and how we feel about healthcare. What he said made me wonder how many others feel the same way about Christians? And if people have this opinion, what blame do we Christians have in that? Are we doing our job?

In Deut. 15:11, God commands His people, "For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'" In the New Testament churces, there are systems put in place by the churches to care for the widows and the poor. In Acts, for instance, there was concern that some of the widows were being overlooked when food was distributed, so seven wise men of integrity were chosen to oversee the distributing of food to make sure everyone in need was fed.

There is no question that as Christians, Jesus calls us to care for the oppressed and the needy in very practical ways. "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (James 2:14-16) While these verses do not directly mention healthcare, I think it is safe to assume that caring about those who can't afford healthcare for themselves or their families is something Jesus would expect from us.

It occurs to me that if we were doing this and doing it well, it wouldn't even cross the minds of unbelievers that Christians were against healthcare reform. They would know we did everything we could to get healthcare to those who needed it! Again, I realize that the man I heard speaking his mind lumped all Republicans and Christians together (whether or not all Republicans are Christian or all Christians are Republican) and also lumped all Christians together - nominal Christians right along with Christians who are concerned about the poor and who are doing things to help. But even so, if we as Christians were doing our job well - all of us, not just some - there may not even be a need for healthcare reform. And if there was a need for it, no one would be able to say that Christians were against it.

All that being said, what the above quoted hairdresser needs to know is that there are many Christians who may be against the current healthcare reform package that is being offered. But being against a particular answer because one is not sure it is the best solution to a very real problem does not mean that the same person is against getting healthcare to those who need it in another way. He was offering a false dichotomy in which the only two choices available were 1)be for Obama's healthcare reform, or 2) be against any healthcare reform at all and show you don't really care about people.

These are not the only two choices. In my community, there are free health clinics being opened and offered to those who don't have access to healthcare. These are being opened by churches and Christian missions and being manned by Christians, many who are volunteering their time. My church is putting together a healthcare team as one part of a missions team that will go where they are needed to offer healthcare. The people who are doing these things may or may not be for the healthcare reform that is on the table, but however they feel about that, they are finding other answers to help deal with the problem as well.

As Christians, we are obligated to be involved in some way with caring for the poor and their needs. That will look different for everyone and there are lots of ways we can get involved, but (as the hairdresser put it) we need to put our pudding where our mouth is. Volunteer in free clinics; support a child financially allowing them to get food, medication, and education where they live (Compassion is a great place to start if you're interested in this. http://www.compassion.com/ ); maybe adoption or foster parenting is something you'd be great at; get involved with the reform process at whatever level you can. There are so many ways to get involved. Your church may have other ideas and even some ways to help already in place. We are called to love everyone and to know that all have equal value and worth in God's eyes. We are called to share that view and to respond to what God has done for us through Jesus by being His light and His love to the rest of the world, and His hands and feet to the needy. We can do better...