Category: Medical culture
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A lesson from the “secret manual”: diversity in medical missions
A Nigerian lab technician serves in Malawi, and an Indian dentist shares Christ’s love in Liberia. Missionaries are increasingly coming from new sending countries in the Global South. As God raises missionaries worldwide, the future of Christian mission will undoubtedly be more diverse and international. Medical missionary Matthew Loftus wrote, “It is exciting to see…
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What does it mean to be human?
We will care for patients better when we treat them as human persons, not objects. Christians have much to contribute to this important dialogue; the gospel calls us to this task.
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“A certain weightiness has settled on the hospital.”
Here is part of an email from a missionary doctor and his wife, who serve in a mission hospital in Africa. Healthcare missions can be discouraging, even in a reasonably well-functioning setting. And while we can be discouraged, hope arises when we step back to gain a wider, gospel perspective. As we head into this…
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Health and the Bible
The Seoul statement from the Fourth Lausanne Congress identifies gaps in fulfilling God’s missionary purpose. One of those gaps, ironically, is the Bible itself. It’s not just that many modern people ignore or even scorn the Bible; the challenge is that Bible-believing Christians themselves often do not read and obey it! How can the Bible…
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Pathology, pills and programs alone?
Seoul Statement helps connect healthcare and the gospel, which proclaims and displays Christ
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Where is God in the midst of suffering?
In healthcare, we often encounter patients who do not get better. Despite the best we have to offer, some patients continue to suffer or die. And the question they ask is, “Where is God in the midst of this suffering?” What do we say? This question stumps many of us, even compassionate doctors and nurses.…
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“We all sat at the same table.”
When resources are scarce and medical professionals are few, one gets overwhelmed with the physical needs of patients needing care. Emotional, spiritual and community care seem like a luxury. Yet the challenge is how to make a long range impact in these communities. Here is an example from the Hopkins Medicine journal which shows…
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Listen up!
Young doctors learn an old practice!
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Love in action
In SIM we think a lot about how to integrate faith and good deeds. In our Western mindset these are often separate. One of our missionaries returned home this week and told us that in her country, Christian medical doctors put “faith” and “work” in separate categories. So it is difficult for them to imagine…
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What should characterize public health done by Christians?
Public health skills are powerful tools to promote flourishing of communities; they complement medical care of individuals. Christians also want to promote human flourishing, since this demonstrates the goodness of God. What will characterize public health done by Christians? Some of the ancients were inclined to treat disease and plagues in terms of supernatural forces…