Tens of millions of Americans are outside the health care system, shut out by the high costs of medical care. Health insolvency and financial insolvency go hand in hand. Health care is an issue in this current election. As high as 72% of evangelical voters have indicated that health care, along with the environment and the economy are very important to them.

Christianity Today reports that 1 out of 6 Americans—47 million people—is uninsured. And these are not just the chronically poor. Forty percent of the uninsured are in households earning over $50,000 per year.

Throughout our history, Christians have led the way in reaching out to the sick and hurting. Jesus had a special concern for the sick, reaching out to heal every kind of illness from leprosy (the AIDS of the 1st century), to blindness, hemorrhages, mental illness, spiritual oppression and possession, disabilities and blindness.

Jesus associated physical and spiritual sickness when he stated that they who are well have no need of a physician. And that he had been called to those who needed a physician

One of Jesus’ early followers was a physician named Luke who traveled with Paul in the years after Jesus resurrection. He witnessed and participated in numerous healings and acts of mercy. The early apostles practiced divine healing, praying for many diseases, ordering the practice of anointing with oil and praying for the sick.

As followers of Christ, early missionaries took up that call, going as doctors, nurses and health professionals to areas of the world in dire need of everyday community health as well as surgery, dentistry and pharmacy. By doing so, they demonstrated the love of Christ to those who needed medical attention. By providing medical care, nations opened the doors to Christian ministry that began to transform the culture as well as the quality of life.

Christians with a heart of compassion established hospitals and clinics. Many mission organizations today have health care at the center of their ministry. All that being said, followers of Christ should care about health. Starting at the family and community level, Christians should advocate locally to care for the sick in our communities.

Health care should be available at all levels of society: all ethnic groups, social classes and income levels. The most controversial of topics is the proposal of a national health insurance that covers every person in America.

As the presidential campaign unfolds and new leadership is chosen, national health care will be an unavoidable issue. As the most prosperous nation in the world, no one, even the poor, should be denied basic health care. Since even the most simple procedure costs thousands of dollars above the ability of the average American’s resources, something must be done to protect health and preserve financial integrity of our families.

How we do it and when we do it will be the political discussion, but the fact that we have a problem and must set aside our own frugality to address this serious concern.


Wayne Pederson is Vice President of Broadcasting at Moody Broadcasting in Chicago, Ill.