During 55 years of service as the
pastor of Baptist churches I have sought assiduously to avoid politics in my
preaching and writing, whether local, state or federal. I have never had
anyone’s bumper sticker on my auto or sign in my yard. I have had my opinions
and faithfully voted in all elections. But I did not want politics to interfere
with ministry to any person or group. (This was doubly true when members of the
same small town church ran against each other in a local election.)
There is a current issue, however, that
demands that I speak out. As a part of healthcare reform, the federal
government is offering to expand Medicaid in each state, providing 100% of the
cost of such expansion for the first years and the bulk of the cost in
following years. Such an expansion in Alabama would provide more than 300,000
Alabamians with healthcare coverage who are not now covered. There is one
person who can say “yes” or “no” to such an expansion. That one person is the
Governor of Alabama, Dr. Bentley, who has indicated that he will say “no,” thus
depriving these many citizens of healthcare coverage.
Although I do not know
Governor Bentley personally, I believe him to be a good man. He is an active
member of a Baptist church in Tuscaloosa. He is therefore my brother in Christ.
I do not intend any disrespect for him as a person, nor as our Governor. But I
appeal to him to change his mind on this issue. He has given reasons for
rejecting this benefit for the people, such as Medicaid in the state being
“broken” and needing to be fixed. I know nothing of these things. I suspect his
position has much to do with politics and resistance to the President. But
whatever informs his thinking, I would, as a fellow Christian, like to remind
him of our responsibility in Christ. May it also inform his thinking.
In Matthew 25 Jesus
speaks of His judging of the nations. The criteria He will use will be how we
treated the needy among us, the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked
(i.e. the poor), the sick and the prisoner. Is it too farfetched to imagine Him
saying “I was sick and you denied me healthcare?” “Lord, when did we deny you
healthcare?” “Inasmuch as you denied it to the least of these, you denied it
unto me.”
If I were the sole person
in the state of Alabama who must decide to give or deny healthcare to hundreds
of thousands of Alabamians, pushing aside all “reason” and “politics,” I would
certainly opt to provide this healthcare. I would not like to live out my life
and go into eternity with a“NO” on my record.
Grace
and Peace
