In this final part of our “SWOT” analysis (strengths—weaknesses—opportunities—threats), we’ll examine threats to the future of healthcare mission. What dangers are ahead of us? Where are the storm clouds gathering?
In a previous blog, we noted that the global church is strong. As the church has done over the centuries, many global churches and believers care for those suffering or marginalized. But sometimes the message of healthcare does not match the message of the gospel. We’ve asked, “How might Christians in the church, parachurch, and workplace collaborate to reach and disciple others in the context of healthcare mission?” How can we move towards more synergy between healthcare and the mission of God?
A threat to collaboration is paternalism. We see the world through our cultural glasses and often don’t take the time to learn from one another. Why is this dangerous in healthcare mission? Because we can do much independently without partnership and collaboration (medicine works pretty well as an independent exercise). But in terms of the mission of God in the world, medical professionals certainly can’t do it alone. For that, we need multiple cultures and perspectives. We especially need the voices of those who represent the less powerful or marginalized.
“Even well-intentioned missionaries are sometimes shaped more by culture than by Christ.” — Healthcare and the Mission of God
In examining our weaknesses, I’ve pointed out that mission drift threatens the whole enterprise of healthcare missions. What is our ultimate destination? We have two mental maps, one for medicine and another for the gospel. Unless these maps align, we will not find our true north. The threat is that we will cling to our separate maps and not work together to align our direction. Collaboration means working across “professional” lines of medicine, theology, church, and mission leadership. Professional silos don’t allow for collaboration. Ships with the wrong maps get lost in storms. We must partner with one another across disciplines, envisioning the world through Bible lenses.
Even “gospel” maps can get distorted. When the Kingdom becomes more about what “we” can do to transform society, we are on the verge of idolatry. The Kingdom is not centered on our work but on the work of Jesus Christ through us as we serve God and others by faith. Another gospel distortion is the “Prosperity” gospel, which encourages us to manipulate God for the health we want. Engagement with the unified story of the whole Bible is our safeguard from falsehood.
“We need a Bible-based vision of healthcare.”
The opportunities ahead of us are vast. The world’s physical needs are pressing. Human suffering calls for a response of compassion, and the love of Christ sends us out into the world. Another threat is that the needs will shape our response more than God’s call. Medical professionals serving the neediest get compassion fatigue and burnout.
We must create new ministry models that allow for an appropriate balance between work and rest. Ultimately, this means strengthening the ties between Christian medical professionals and other Christians. Doctors working in hospitals cannot solve all the brokenness of individuals or communities. We begin to address these needs by working with others. Churches that are called to meet human needs can benefit from input from medical professionals. Collaboration enhances the gospel’s reach. We can’t tackle every problem before Jesus returns, but God’s people can be the instruments of substantial healing.
“How might Christians in the church, parachurch, and workplace collaborate to reach and disciple others in the context of healthcare mission?” The biggest threat to the future of healthcare mission is that medical professionals continue to work in isolation from believers in non-medical contexts. Who will respond to God’s call to a build bridges between the silos of medicine and mission? We need individuals in healthcare, in mission agencies and in churches to help us return to a solid, Biblical foundation. We cannot continue to work with different understandings of how healthcare fits into the big picture of God’s mission. As we learn to collaborate, healthcare ministry will increasingly lean into the purposes of God in the world — for His glory and the flourishing of humankind.
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