Job cries, “If I go forward, God is not there...on the left, God hides...on the right, I cannot see God....God has made my heart faint. If only I could vanish in darkness....”

These examples of real, identified people who have suffered under the present health care system and have real concerns about their health care are ones who have or have had health insurance for the most part. These are folks from a middle class neighborhood.

But there are a large number of folks who are unnamed, uncounted who die because they cannot afford medical care. I have not given example to those folks and families who have chronically never been able to have health insurance or regular medical care and dart from one emergency hospital room to another. These I would suggest probably number more than those we can identify by name.

Perhaps you know of folks in precarious health care situations. Perhaps you are one.

‘If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!'

Bishop William Willimon indicates that for the most part, “Americans are happy with their health insurance.” But “as a church, Jesus has given us the responsibility for ‘the least of these.' Saying we are happy with our health insurance is not saying enough.” Bishop Sally Dyck in another article points out that the United Methodist Social Principles state that health care is something we, as individuals, owe each other and the government owes everyone. Further, the Social Principles say that health care is best funded through the government. (Paragraph 162 V)

The same issue of the weekly Washington Post telling of Maryland folks had the front cover headline: Health-Care Anxiety . And indeed, we read and hear the anxiety over health care.

This time, though, it is historic, in that Congress is actually attempting to address our Health Care Crisis. The focus on change and the need to change because the health care system is broken are creating all sorts of reactivity. Whenever there is a change to the status quo, in the transition time, reactions do flourish. Sometimes the reactions take hold so that change never happens because of the fears and anxieties produced, whether they are founded or unfounded. William Bridges writes of this phenomenon in Managing Transitions Making the Most of Change Our nation's leaders whether Congress people, health insurance folks, medical professionals or medical consumers, they all are in great need to learn from Bridges' work and insight. Change is life; how we move through change is either life-giving or life-zapping.

Key to transitioning through change in a healthy way is getting information out to all who will be affected by the change on an on-going basis. Also key to being able to have a smoother transition is addressing the rumors while not getting bogged down and get caught up in them. Rather, keep the focus on the objectives and how best to meet the objectives.

It is true, and I fear as I say this it will sound trite but here it goes anyway: it is true, addressing the short comings of the health care system, providing health care for everyone in the United States is a tremendous challenge given our present system of deep pockets, our systemic and unconscious racism, health care delivery, the entitlement system and attitudes we have, our blindness, and our living out of a sense of scarcity. The only item we need before us is the one who is not cared for in our present system. Habitat for Humanity uses the premise that everyone is entitled to have a home to live in. Do we not believe that for health care? Then the only question we need to ask ourselves is, why do I deserve health care any more than the one who cannot afford it. The only item we need before us is the death of a child who had a childhood disease because preventive medical care was not affordable. The only item we need is to know that people forgo taking life-giving medications because they could afford either eating or taking a pill. The only item we need before us is knowing that pre-existing conditions relegate those without a health insurance carrier to death at the worst and at the least suffering. We could continue the list of situations where health care is inadequate.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to him and asked him,” Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “You lack just one thing, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor,...” You know what the rich man did ... he was shocked at Jesus' admonition. Jesus hit him where he was the most vulnerable. And the man went away, for he had many possessions. How hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kin-dom of God.

In actuality, Jesus might have told the man to do something else in order to inherit eternal life. But what Jesus found was the one thing the man held onto, the one thing that the man could not let go of. Jesus is speaking to the man saying, “Trust in me. Put your trust in God rather than what you have collected in cash or things. They won't bring you the one thing you most, deeply desire. Trust me.”

In many ways I believe Jesus is asking us as well when we face this health care crisis, so what is it that you are afraid of losing? What are you holding onto so dearly that it makes it impossible to conceive or put into place a new way of delivering health care for everyone? And then Jesus says: Trust me. Give it away to the poor, the ones who can't afford care.

Congress folk are beholden to their constituents; so is it power they are afraid of losing? IS it the expense of such a change? Do we fear we'll be paying for everyone else's health care with higher taxes than we already have; so we won't be able to afford the vacation or recent trip we had? What do we fear losing: the freedom of choosing this physician, the conveniences we now have with our own health care, or choice/prime medical care? Is it our privilege? What are we holding tight to, that prevents us from seeing our way clear to provide health care for those who cannot afford it now? Jesus is saying, give it away. What keeps us from inheriting eternal life? Is it a fear that we just have never done this before and we don't know all the answers right now, and we need to hold onto what we know. We don't have all the answers so let's wait until we have it all worked out. That's like saying, even though this way doesn't work, let's continue this way some more. Maybe it'll come round right if we do it one more year.

Jesus is saying, “How hard it is to enter the kin-dom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kin-dom of God.”

We who are making the decisions for those who have no health care are the rich and powerful. Even though we may be in a recession or just coming out of a recession, we are the rich ones – holding onto our power, our riches, our conveniences, our safety nets. Jesus is asking the powerful and the rich, give the care to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.