Chaplain's Corner

I recently read Timothy Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods, an insightful exploration of our human propensity to create gods of our own creation that we then worship instead of worshiping the one true God. As I read I reflected on a statement that I hear a lot: “If you have your health, you have everything.”

I’ve made the statement myself, I have agreed with others who have made the statement but upon examination it is hardly true. Oh, I think we all get the point: you can have wealth, you can have a great career, you can be a person of renown but if your health fails you, these other things are not worth that much.

As I step back a bit further from the statement, I am convinced that if I was deeply convinced that this statement was true, I would be an idolater. Health isn’t everything. It isn’t the one defining necessity that makes life worth living. In fact I have seen more transformative change in people’s lives, change for the better in the context of health struggles, than I ever have in the context of great health.

Those of us who work in health care work almost exclusively with people whose health is compromised in one way or another, some permanently and others just for a short time. Sure, there are a few despairing souls who believe that the loss of their health signals the ruin of the rest of their lives, but for the most part, I have seen resilience, spiritual strength, hope, courage and productivity despite attacks on people’s health.

I have witnessed some who gripped by chronic, cureless health conditions who still had joy and faith and purpose and contentment defining their lives. These were not folks who resigned themselves to a miserable lot in life and settled into an attitude of complaining and self-pity. No these are folks who care for others and love for life. They do not slip into despair because they don’t believe health is everything but that God is everything. They accept the ups and downs of their health trusting that God is with them, in them and using the ups and downs in his immense and often unfathomable plan.

I can’t even begin to imagine what is spent worldwide on health care. The World Health Organization put out a report in 2012 estimating that worldwide 6.5 trillion dollars was spend the previous year on health care around the world. That was 5 years ago. An organization called Charitable Navigator estimates that in 2015, 373 billion was given charitably (all charities). So, if my math is correct, 17 times more is spent on health care each year than is given to all charitable organizations. So what is my point?

My point is that millions of people give billions of dollars to reach out and help others, despite the fact that many of these givers suffer themselves. Jesus stated clearly that the two greatest commandments were to Love God supremely and others as we love ourselves. Loving God supremely causes us to release a tight fisted grip on our own resources and entrust them to His will and then to look around and see the needs around us and give to them. I don’t generally see health motivating people in that direction but I have always seen love for God motivating people. Many of who suffer deeply reach out and give to alleviate the suffering of others.

Health isn’t everything. When we enjoy good health, we ought to thank God for that gift, but when our health fails, if we trust God and love him supremely we will respond as the patriarch Job did when after suffering immense loss: “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Join me in aspiring to that kind of faith.