After a long hiatus from writing, I'm back. I know I've kind of left you hanging about some of my experience in Guatemala, but hopefully I'll get some content on that up before too long. As medical school begins, I've been trying to figure out how to continue sharing my thoughts in a way that will be sustainable as the rhythm of life ramps up a little. I'm a week into school (well, it's only wards, so no intense book studying yet), and one way I've been spending time in reflection is through assignments for our Religion and Medicine class. Each week we write a short paper discussing our thoughts on the topic and readings from the week. Along with other supplemental sources, we are going through the Gospel of Luke and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. This week we read Luke 4:16-22 and Luke 6:20-23 along with several pages from Kalanithi's memoir. We were particularly interested in exploring Jesus's interactions with the poor. Throughout the week, I heard other stories, sermons, and conversations that spoke to this topic, left me deeply impacted, and are reflected in the thoughts I wrote down. I hope by reading these thoughts you can get a better picture of the ideas that have been under construction in my mind this week.
"The readings from this week weave together a complex and compelling message that is intimately connected to the role of a Christian physician. Johnsson points out how Jesus paid particular attention to the poor and the poor in spirit during His ministry. He spent a majority of his time restoring hope and health to these individuals and reserved His harshest reprimands for those who took advantage of this vulnerable population. As Christians physicians, our primary goal is to carry on this healing ministry of Jesus, so it behooves us to ponder whether we truly emulate the example set before us. Jesus’s mission was built around providing emotional and physical healing—setting people free. Throughout His ministry, He restored dignity, relationships, and self-sufficiency. What about us? Do our choices and actions reflect a commitment to justice and mercy?
Kalanithi further explores the topic of following through on our calling. In regards to choosing a specialty, he noted that at the end of medical school many of his peers were opting for specialties that paid well, were lower stress, and had easy hours. These criteria, Kalanithi asserts, were things to consider when finding a job—not a calling. His sentiment jumped out at me. Here, at the start of our medical journey, we have an idealized picture of what our careers will become, who they will help, and how they will impact society. We enter this journey following the noble aspirations of our personal statements and the physician’s oath. But after two or three years of grueling work, will those goals still stand? Will we allow time to jade our compassion for the underprivileged? Will working for the poor be a burden or a privilege? Will we champion dignity and self-sufficiency or will we slip into passivity?
Will we champion dignity and self-sufficiency or will we slip into passivity?
The answer is a deeply personal one that will form the foundation for our life trajectory. It will require frequent re-commitment to choosing calling over comfort. God calls us to join Him in the work of setting people free. Each of us has been given a unique capacity to relieve the suffering people within our own sphere of influence. This is our calling. God’s goal for each one of us is to be part of an ecosystem that feeds us and allows us to feed into the lives of others. He has something in mind that makes us comes alive yet also brings restoration to those with whom we interact. Yes, this may involve walking into a career that is not renowned for its prestige and manageable lifestyle. More than that, however, serving the poor will entail a lifestyle-of-service mindset. (And just to clarify, I am not advocating leaving behind balance or family or health. Those are gifts and biblical principles that contribute to an abundant and sustainable life.)
Each of us has been given a unique capacity to relieve the suffering people within our own sphere of influence. This is our calling.
Embracing this Jesus-like servanthood requires that we explore a little more. Who are the poor and what do they truly long for? Poverty, a state of broken relationships (with health, finances, community, religion, self, etc.), is present to some degree in every heart. Though in my periods of poverty I may appreciate a well-meaning material gift, what I hope for deep down is companionship and support. I can only imagine this truth lives in every human heart. Therefore, to address poverty we must be committed to restoring broken relationships through presence and hope. As healthcare professionals we have a unique opportunity to walk alongside people in their dark moments and offer the promise of something better. We must seize each opportunity regardless of the person who is placed in our path. They may not look, smell, talk, eat, or believe like we do. However, calling transcends these barriers and invites us to approach each patient and colleague with fresh eyes—not ones that are unrealistically naïve but ones that have seen and still care.
As we look back on Jesus’s ministry and ahead to our calling to the heal the hurting, we can see and anticipate the radical impact of a life lived intentionally. Will we choose thoughts, words, and routines that revive, restore, and are unmistakably seasoned by God’s love—regardless of skepticism or preconceived prejudices? Will we follow His footsteps into each patient’s room and into the specialty He is preparing us for? When we answer ‘yes,’ poverty will begin to lose its foothold and wholeness will take the podium."
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