

Many Americans this morning, particularly conservatives, are celebrating an announcement from Gallup.com:
More in U.S. Say Health Coverage Is Not Gov’t. Responsibility by Frank Newport
Marks significant shift from the attitudes of the past decade
PRINCETON, NJ — More Americans now say it is not the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government’s responsibility.
This announcement is being enlisted in the battle to stop the Democrat’s healthcare bill(s). I’m sure many radio talk shows and cable programs will discuss this at some point today.
So let us stipulate that it truly is not the government’s responsiblity. Let’s say the healthcare reform bills are defeated (and I do hope they are defeated). Then what? The opponents of the legislation will celebrate, the nation will divert its attention to something else and the politicians will fight over some other issue.
If it is not the government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (and I agree that it is not), whose responsibility is it? The standard answer is that it is each individual’s responsibility to procure healthcare coverage for themselves. At this point, those of us who subscribe to some version of this point of view leave it at that and declare the matter resolved. But we don’t live in the world of political theory where things are as neat and tidy as we sometimes make them out to be.
Jesus was right: the poor will always be among us. We can either shrug our shoulders and use Jesus’s word as an excuse to do nothing or we can take action. What is the Church’s responsibility to the poor among us who are without health insurance? We, as Christians, are not primarily Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. We are not primarily conservatives, liberals and moderates. We are servants of the Most High God. We are the King’s subjects. We claim to be followers and disciples of Jesus the Christ. This is the lens we ought to use when we look at these issues. Here are some passages from Scripture to help us fine-tune our lenses:
“Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him.” Psalm 41:1
“Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.” Proverbs 14:21
“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” Prov. 14:31
“Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” Prov. 17:5
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.” Prov. 19:17
“Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” Prov. 21:13
“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” Prov. 22:9
Jesus: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
What is the Church’s responsibility to the poor among us who are without health insurance? The Bible, of course, does not speak directly to modern healthcare or health insurance. In the passage above, Jesus only speaks about visiting the sick. Should we assume that this is the extent of our responsibility? I don’t think so. So how can we as followers of Jesus, who had a great deal to say about caring for the poor, actively care for the people of our neighborhoods who are in need of health care?
These are not loaded questions or merely hypothetical ones. These are questions I am wrestling with along with our missional community. I know some local churches and charities are involved in this work and I look forward to learning from those who are already engaged. Leave a comment if you want to discuss ideas here.
The answers are not easy but we, servants of Christ and His kingdom, must be engaged. To my conservative brethren: we may believe that it is not the government’s responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health coverage but that just means that the solutions lie elsewhere. The needs remain. If the government is not the solution, we must become the solution. The hands and feet of Christ have hung limp and paralyzed for far too long.

