People of Faith, Healing the Sick

Raising Women’s Voices People of Faith, Healing the Sick - Agenda Faithful History of Healing the Sick Faithful Values that Support Healing the Sick Compassion Stewardship Community Family Fearful Barriers that are Overcome by LOVE Politics Complexity How People of Faith Heal the Sick Work through your family, community, or place of worship Don’t be afraid to use your faithful values and faithful voices

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick A Faithful History

The leg-bone (femur) proves an early sense of compassion Raising Women’s Voices Early fossilized human bones show their compassion to the sick and injured. Healing the Sick – A Faithful History

For the Faithful, Health Care is a SOCIAL JUSTICE issue Justice = Fairness Fairness has NO favorites For God, We are All Favorites And all worthy of health care Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick – A Faithful History

In ancient times, health care was found through the kindness of others, sometimes, strangers. Healing the Sick – A Faithful History Raising Women’s Voices Consider the Good Samaritan: The rich and respected ignored the sick and beaten man. The Good Samaritan cared for him with time, money, and love. When we spend our own money on health insurance, we give health care to strangers in our community, knowing that sometime later, others might help us.

When there is sickness, everything stops. The Faithful respond with love for their neighbor by healing the sick. Raising Women’s Voices “.. what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” - Micah 6:8 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”. - John 13:34 Healing the Sick – A Faithful History

People without health insurance deal with substandard care through emergency rooms and almost no preventive care. This cannot stand! Raising Women’s Voices “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’” – Deut. 15:11 “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” - 1 John 3:17 Healing the Sick – A Faithful History

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Value of Compassion 9

Healing the Sick Value of Compassion “It’s not enough to be compassionate… YOU MUST ACT” People of Faith know this, and we have been compassionately “Healing the Sick” for millenia! Raising Women’s Voices

Healing the Sick Value of Stewardship

Healing the Sick Value of Stewardship We are Called to be Wise Stewards of God’s Abundant Resources (including health care) which are on “loan” to us to use effectively, to God’s Glory Raising Women’s Voices

Healing the Sick Value of Community

Healing the Sick – Value of Community Raising Women’s Voices What Happens to You, Affects me, Emotionally, Spiritually, Physically, Even Financially, including your illness and injury We are all Connected!

Healing the Sick – Value of Community Raising Women’s Voices People of Faith try to look through God’s eyes. Then, we can see that each person has GIFTS, and good health-care can help open the door to the life they were GIFTED TO LEAD.

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Value of Family

Healing the Sick Value of Family The more family and friends-like family we love, the more we want quality health care, including preventive care, for ALL our loved ones, for ALL people Raising Women’s Voices The Ever-Growing Family Tree

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Fearful Barriers that are Overcome by LOVE

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Not Fear, Just Love – Issue of POLITICS

The political naysayers are fearful and they want YOU to be fearful too. But we don’t have buy into that. The ACA is not perfect, BUT… It’s a NEW DAY, A NEW HOPE for better health care for ALL. Healing the Sick – Not Fear, Just Love Politics – Don’t buy into it. Raising Women’s Voices

Question: Who will we alienate? Who will leave our church? Answer: No one… if you remind them of who you are… People of Faith, Healing the Sick, in LOVING KINDNESS. Be brave. “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” - C.S. Lewis Healing the Sick – Not Fear, Just Love Politics – Elephant in the Room, and we’re not just talking about Republicans Raising Women’s Voices

Question: What about our Tax-Free status? Shouldn’t we stay clear of a government program like the ACA? Answer: Non-profits are FREE to work on ISSUES like Health Care or BILLS like the ACA without endangering their Tax-Free status. No worries! Healing the Sick – Not Fear, Just Love Politics – Don’t worry about the IRS Raising Women’s Voices

Healing the Sick Not Fear, Just Love – Issue of COMPLEXITY

Concern: There’s so much to this! We’ll just visit the sick. That’s good enough. Response: The Faithful Community is a perfect fit to reach vulnerable people with your loving, gentle touch. Leave the gritty details to others. Healing the Sick – Not Fear, Just Love COMPLEXITY– It’s NOT too hard for you! Raising Women’s Voices

Healing the Sick How People of Faith Heal the Sick

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Work through your family

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Work through your family Talk to your friends and family about Health Care. Make sure that they: Have health insurance Have a doctor, Are getting check-ups, Are getting preventive care, Are taking care of their health.

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Work through your community

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Work through your community Join Raising Women’s Voices, or Join Enroll America groups in your State, or Join other Community groups involved in Outreach and Education, or THEN, Invite Speakers to Organizations you have connections to.

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Work through your place of worship

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Partner with your place of worship Start from our sample Bulletin Inserts Start from our “Top Ten Faithful Concepts for Promoting the ACA” Invite a group from your state’s Navigators to set up a station to sign people up for Health Insurance. Invite a speaker from Raising Women’s Voices or an Outreach and Education community group to speak.

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Don’t be afraid to be faithful – use those values and that voice

Raising Women’s Voices Healing the Sick Don’t be afraid to use your faithful values and faithful voices Write Letters to the Editor, “As a person of faith” Get editing help from Raising Women’s Voices or other community leaders… you’ll be glad you did! Use moral, spiritual, religious words: that’s your gift.

34 People of Faith, Healing the Sick Thank you for your time and for caring about your neighbors! Cathy Levy, Raising Women’s Voices, Regional Coordinator for Ohio Questions?

Raising Women’s Voices Sources The Biologian: nice-compassion-in-human.html