At Mercy Ships, we have a weekly column on our intranet entitled 'Leadership Point of View'. Last week was my turn to contribute and I thought I would blog the same thoughts here to make them available to a wider audience
Jesus said he came ‘to preach good news to the poor’ (Luke
4:18). So, I wonder, have you ever asked yourself the question, “what does ‘good news’ look like for my neighbour?”
Most of us can imagine what good news looks like for a patient with a facial tumour. But what does
good news look like for young man
serving your table at the restaurant, the young mother buying groceries at the
local store, your neighbour? What does good
news look like for them? This was a question my friends and I would often
ask ourselves in England as we sought to be relevant, incarnational followers
of Jesus in the 21st century.
As the Medical Capacity Building Director for Mercy Ships, I
find myself asking the same question in yet another context, ‘what does good news look like for the local
doctor, or the local nurse’.
Recently I asked a local nurse, “why did you become a
nurse?”
She answered, “Because I wanted to care for people.”
“What’s the hardest part of your job”, I replied
“Not being able to care for people because I don’t have what
I need”
Our Medical Capacity Building programs bring ‘good
news’ by offering training and providing equipment so local staff are
empowered to do their job - caring for the sick and injured. In this way they bring
good news (hope and healing) to their
own communities without relying on us.
Imagine being a doctor or nurse, watching people suffering
day after day and not being able to help. I am not sure I would last long working
like that. Imagine not knowing what to do because no-one had ever taught you
anything since you left college, no continuing medical education, no refresher
courses, nothing. Or worse, imagine you
did actually know what to do, but didn’t have the equipment to do it. People
were dying, and you had to stand by and watch. Is it any wonder doctors and
nurses leave seeking work overseas?
Recently one of our training teams visited a hospital
several hours drive from Toamasina. The doctor there said,
“Thank you so much for coming, your visit has encouraged me
so much. Because you came and showed you cared, that will keep me going for
another year”.
What an honour to participate in God’s calling on our lives,
and preach good news to the
poor. Medical Capacity Building is good news. It is gospel work because it
empowers and transforms people. Transformed people, transform nations.
May God show you today, who is your neighbour and what good news looks like for them.
