Thought for Today
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
Psalm 41:3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed; in their illness you heal all their infirmities.
Luke 9:1 Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
Greta and I went to our local pharmacy this morning to get an immunization. It is one our primary care physician has been recommending for some time, and which we have procrastinated getting. Everything (other than trying to navigate the pharmacy’s website to schedule the shot) went well.
When those of us ‘of an age’ were infants, all children in the U.S.A. received the smallpox vaccine when we were very young. For most, the only ‘memory’ of that shot was the small, round scar on our upper arms. I do not remember any public discussion about the efficacy or necessity of that vaccine. There were no protests. There were no ‘exemptions on religious grounds,’ at least of which any of us were aware.
Today, there is a lot of public debate about vaccinations. Some question their efficacy. Some question their safety. Some even suggest that vaccines promote disease more than they eliminate disease. As a minister, I will not offer any comments on this topic beyond that first sentence above.
All of this, however, brings health and healthcare to the forefront of my thoughts this morning. Additionally, there was an interesting article in yesterday’s Boston Globe magazine on the topic of healthcare research.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that pharmacology is a major industry in the U.S.A. There are days when I wonder whether or not it is still legal to advertise anything other than drugs on television. Just hearing all of the possible side effects listed on the drug advertisements often makes me feel ill.
It is easy for us to forget just how blessed we are today in terms of healthcare. During my own lifetime the advances in medicines, devices and procedures has advanced amazingly. We are not yet to the state of the Star Trek tricorder; but, there are medicines, machines and procedures that were the province of science fiction novels when I was a youth.
Think what it was like in Biblical times. The causes and cures of diseases were a mystery. Things were not much beyond the ‘eagle feathers’ and ‘rattles’ of witch doctors and shamans. Many believed that illnesses were caused by ingestion of the demons in the air. During the pandemic, a friend suggested to me that ‘demon’ was a pretty good name for the COVID19 virus.
Beyond the offer of prayers of thanksgiving to God for the wonders of modern medicine and the dedication of all those involved in healthcare, I do not see a great deal of overlap between the medical field and religion. I know that there are faith traditions that do have concerns with some aspects of modern religion, transfusions, etc. The Protestant Reformed tradition does not.
Given that I was initially trained as an engineer, it is probably no surprise that I also do not see any issues or contradictions between science and religion. I have taken courses in the physical sciences, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, etc. I have even taken courses in the ‘human’ sciences, anthropology, etc. I have a seminary degree, so I have taken many courses in religion and the history of religion. I find great synergism among them all. They do focus on slightly different questions. Some on how, some on why and some on who.
This morning, as I deal with a (very) slightly sore arm and the assurance of some degree of physical safety (at least from 1 threat), I am particularly focused on being thankful to God for all the benefits of modern science and medicine. I may easily and often tire of hearing and seeing so many drug advertisements; but, I am thankful that they are all there as tools for our doctors to use when needed. And, I regularly offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for the Enlightenment and modern science.
Stay safe, be healthy, trust God,
Pastor Ray