PLEASE GOVERNOR BENTLEY

                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