When you see someone in need, I wonder what your initial reaction is? According to research, it’s often our tendency to choose to act generously, even if we don’t know the person, and even when it costs us something*.
This makes perfect sense considering we’re made in the image of a benevolent, compassionate God who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. One way we can show Christ-like love to those around us is to care for those who are suffering, just like Jesus did.
In Luke 20, friends bring a paralysed man to Jesus and in his mighty power, Jesus heals him, but he first says, “Your sins are forgiven.” The paralysed man probably wasn’t expecting this to be Jesus’ priority – he’d come so he could walk – but Jesus shows that nothing is more important than spiritual salvation.
By transforming the paralysed man both inside and out, we can see that not only is Jesus Lord, but he’s all-loving and wants what’s best for us. He not only met the paralysed man’s physical need, but his spiritual one too.
*‘The robustness of reciprocity’ by D Melamed.
This is the goal of SIM’s holistic healthcare ministries that seek to address both external physical needs and the internal needs of people’s heart and soul.
Caring for those who are suffering provides a unique opportunity to share the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
CURE Hospital
CURE Hospital in Ethiopia is one of eight hospitals across Africa and the Philippines offering spiritual care through biblical counselling, prayer, bedside ministry, and play therapy, alongside providing free medical care for children living in poverty.
SIM UK’s Tim Nunn serves as the Medical Director at the hospital, which is changing the lives of children like 16-year-old Medanit†, who was born with bilateral clubfoot – a condition that meant her feet turned inward and walking was a challenge.
Medanit rarely left home and found life in her community difficult, but when she recovered from her surgery on her left foot, the doctors at CURE Ethiopia decided to operate on her right foot only a week later.
After two successful surgeries, Medanit was able to return home, and her life was transformed. But it wasn’t just her physical healing that had happened.
She came to CURE feeling worthless, but felt valued and loved by the staff during her stay and left feeling restored and full of hope for the future.
She shares: “My experience at CURE has impacted me in many ways. I’ve great compassion for people suffering from disabilities and I want to help them by becoming an orthopedic surgeon in the future!”
†Quotes courtesy of CURE International.
Mukinge Mission Hospital
In north-western Zambia, SIM UK’s Michelle Proctor served at Mukinge Mission Hospital for over 25 years. Here, staff strive to reflect the glory of God as they follow Christ’s pattern of sharing the gospel in teaching, preaching, and healing.
As the only hospital serving an area the size of Wales, it’s always busy providing both in- and out-patient care, including medical, surgical, maternity, and paediatric services. Prayer is woven into everything staff do, as they trust and rely on God’s provision to make their work possible.
“I often saw God at work, like the right staff at the right time, or blood supplies arriving just as we’ve run out,” reflects Michelle.
“We had a plastic surgeon visiting us and as he was there, a patient came in that only he could fix. If he hadn’t been there, we’d have had to send them somewhere else – and they may not have gone.”
At the heart of Michelle’s desire to use her nursing skills to help others was her compassion through her faith. After droughts in Zambia caused a drop in food supplies, she saw the hospital’s children’s ward full to overflowing with malnourished children like Mike, who was admitted to the hospital with such severe malnutrition and anaemia that he needed three blood transfusions during his stay.
“There were several evenings when I went home not expecting to see him in the morning,” Michelle admits.
But, with lots of care, special feeds and nutritional supplements, Mike recovered and was able to return home, thanks to the care and compassion from the team at Mukinge.
Just like Jesus brought healing to many, the work of SIM projects around the world seek to follow in his footsteps, bringing life-saving and life-transforming care.
Please pray
- that healthcare workers would be well equipped to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of patients, helping them encounter God’s love in every act of care;
- for the work of CURE Ethiopia and Mukinge Hospitals. For the provisions they need to bring healing to those in need of medical care;
- that people will engage well with the different sessions in the North
Africa healthcare project and that it will speak to the needs of local
communities.
‘When mercy meets medicine’ has been adapted from our Caring magazine.
