Traditionally Christians have played a major part in health care throughout the church’s existence. Their belief was that human beings are a unity consisting of both body and soul that are equally important and necessarily to our eternal being. This valuing of the human body prompted early Christians to discover and practice good medicine.

The early church played a pivotal role in developing hospitals, and in more recent history, the modern hospice movement began through the work of Cicely Saunders. She was an English physician who became a personal Christian in a conversion experience that gave her strength and motivation for her life and work. Her guide came from Psalm 37:5: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Christians have had enormous influence in health care. In 1903,George W. Truett, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas asked “Is it not now time to build a great humanitarian hospital, one to which men of all creeds and those of none may come with equal confidence?” From that start Baylor Hospital began, developing a health insurance plan where schoolteachers secured coverage for 50 cents a month. Those roots grew and developed into what we know today as Blue Cross-Blue Shield. All because a Christian cast a vision for better health care!

Today’s debate over health care reform is sorely lacking a Christian vision, or even a forum where ideas can be discussed civilly with those who have differing views. I believe we as Christians need to voice the care for people that is found in the pages of the New Testament, where the sick and suffering are ministered to because it is the right thing to do. In the current atmosphere of chaotic name calling, Christians need to lead in developing new models of discussion that will lead to better health care for all.

Instead of being led through fear based tactics that drive people into knee-jerk reactions on bogus issues, Christians can voice the need for care that is affordable, appropriate and available. Instead of lowering our standards to the pits of current babbling through such farces as defacing President Obama’s photo with Nazi inspired graffiti and threatening the coming of death panels that will pull the plug on our loved ones, we can hold high the picture of a Good Samaritan who compassionately does God’s will in caring for “the least of these.”

Since the church has largely given up its traditional responsibility for health care, the least we can do as individual Christians is to help our government develop a way out of the current crisis into something better. Perhaps we start by doing what Cicely Saunders did, and claiming the promises of Psalm 37:5 for us as we talk about, advocate for, and ultimately benefit from a better way to wellness and life.