Spiritual wisdom traditions and HW2

Today's post comes from a reflection on the role of spiritual wisdom traditions in creating and maintaining health, wellness and wholeness (HW2)of communities. While I'm going to specifically reflect on my own wisdom tradition (that of Jesus) wisdom traditions abound in all major religions (e.g., the Jewish wisdom texts of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job) and serve the purpose of broadening our worldview. This change in viewpoint allows for a change in action and activity which has historically brought about healthy communities (with notable exceptions when the wisdom has been mis-applied).

The wisdom tradition of Jesus teaches followers (disciples) that they are to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love neighbor as self. This love creates and environment that emphasizes the needs of the other over the self, and thus intimately ties my own HW2 to another. How has that wisdom tradition been subverted here in the U.S. healthcare system? Note that many of our hospitals are (at least in name) affiliated with Christian doctrines (Catholic, Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran...) yet, they function as secular entities (personal experience in most if not all of these). How have the hospitals in the U.S., especially those with doctrinal ties, failed in their mission to love neighbor as self and to affect change in healthcare payment and practice in order to achieve this?

It's unfair to lay all the blame on institutions, as they are made up of people, and care for people who should be advocating for the "narrow way" as well. The system (or not) that we are saddled with now, is a result of decades of leadership (local and governmental) that failed to see the problems of the current approach; an individual hospital or system focus; the divorce of the spiritual from the physical. If we are to truly reform healthcare, then we must (in my opinion) look to our wisdom traditions to inform our worldview. We must acknowledge that we do not know everything (and never will) and that all people will die (it's a part of life).

We are a long way from walking through the narrow gate in the Jesus tradition - in healthcare reform and in life reform. Recapturing the wisdom traditions and using them the improve our HW2 is what Possibilities Journey, Inc is all about (www.possjrny.org). Come with us in 2011 and let's become wiser. BTW, if you're looking for a tax shelter at the end of the year, it's easy to donate to PJ at our website - we're a 501c3, so everything is tax deductible.

Peace,
Dan