A PERSPECTIVE ON CHRISTIAN CAREGIVING
I want to share with you a story I heard some time ago. It was related to me by a counselor who is a friend of mine. One of his clients was a minister who was visiting someone nursing home. As he walked down the hall, he came upon an elderly man in a wheel chair. As he moved to pass by the man’s arm shot out and his hand clamped down viselike upon the minister’s wrist. He turned to look at the man.
The man was someone he didn’t know, but he could see the anguish in the man’s face. The man said to him, “Son, I’ll pay you five dollars if you’ll just sit and talk to me for five minutes.”
I wish I could tell you how the story ended. When I was told this story, I didn’t have the presence of mind to follow up. What I can tell you is that this is sad commentary on our society. American culture prizes individualism and individual achievement above all else. We admire the person who thrives by the “sweat of their own brow”. We uphold the self-made person as the ideal to which we should all aspire. What we don’t realize- or at least, don’t recognize- is the price we pay for that choice.
We live in a world where nobody trusts anybody else; we live in a world where we are taught that we cannot depend on anyone other than ourselves; our world teaches us that if we want something done right, then we must do it ourselves. We take care of our own business, trusting to luck and our wits to prosper. Again, we pay a price.
One of the first things we are taught in the scripture is that it is not good for humans to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Research done by psychologists and sociologists support the truth of this statement. For example, hermits and people who sail the world alone have a much higher incidence of mental illness, particularly depression and anxiety, than those who live in community with others.
God designed us to be community with one another and to care for one another. Consider this. A cornerstone of Christian Theology is that God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, to save the world. Jesus did this through his death and resurrection. There are number of ways that the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) might have chosen to reveal this “good news” to the world. Beginning with the kind miraculous revelation that occurred at the birth of Jesus (e.g., the heavenly hosts appearance to the shepherds). Jesus could have come as a more influential character (for example, he might have been a renowned Rabbi, or the Temple High Priest, or a King in the Nature of King David) who would automatically attract a larger audience. He didn’t either of those things.
He might have chosen to have his disciples engage solely in an evangelism crusade, passing the faith on one person at a time- but if he had done that, he would have had thousands of individuals with no church. Jesus chose instead to found a church. After much reflection I have come to a conclusion that in retrospect seems almost obvious to me. Jesus wants us to be in community with one another.
I want to speak for a moment about pastoral care. Pastoral care is an important aspect of ministry for the church and for any member of the clergy. It is vital part of the job that we do to help others grow spiritually, and it sets the foundation for the relationship between the pastor and the flock. But understand this: if the sole vector for caregiving within a congregation is pastoral care, that congregation is mostly not giving enough care to its community. Caregiving is the job of the church; pastoral care is a specialized subset of congregational care. Both must exist for the level of caregiving to be adequate.
If you don’t believe that consider how often Jesus asks us to love. The second great commandment after Love the Lord, your God is to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. Jesus said to his disciples, “This I command you, that you love one another.”
It’s a tragedy, in my opinion, that anyone ever feels alone. Pastors do what they can to avert that, but the truth is that they can’t do it alone. The Christian Journey towards discipleship requires caregiving. If a person wishes to make that journey, caregiving is part of it. Our Spiritual growth requires it.
The journey itself can be lonely. In those times I recommend two things. First, that groups of disciples, covenant to care for one another. We should support ourselves in the journey. Secondly, we should remind ourselves that we are never truly alone. Wherever we go, whatever we do Jesus travels with us. He is always there to comfort, to guide, in instruct, and if we need it, to discipline. This he commands you. That you love one another.