29 March, 2024

Ready to Heal

by | 5 August, 2014 | 0 comments

By Mark A. Taylor

Nobody forced Atlanta”s Emory University Hospital last week to accept two patients stricken with the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, Dr. Bruce Ribner, head of the Emory unit treating the sick Americans, welcomed the chance to admit them. Emory, according to Ribner, is one of only four U.S. facilities uniquely equipped to treat such a contagious disease. He told CNN, “We are not going to miss this opportunity.”

A magnified image of the Ebola virus.

A magnified image of the Ebola virus.

Hospital staff members congratulated him for accepting the patients, he said. When he explained his decision to his wife, she responded, “Great, that”s what you”ve been dreaming of for 12 years.” That”s when the isolation unit now housing the patients was created.

The introductory paragraphs in the CNN story demonstrate that Ribner doesn”t hold his vision alone:

“. . . faced with the prospect of coming face-to-face with this terrible illness at their Atlanta hospital, . . . what did two nurses do?

“They canceled their vacation.”

Despite the ugliness and danger of the disease, these medical professionals are confronting it with calm assurance for at least two reasons:

1. They”re fully prepared, well-equipped, and completely trained to deal with it.

2. They know treating this disease is their duty, central to their mission at this hospital.

When Christians react to the “disease” of sin in similar ways, the result can be even more significant.

Sin is deadlier and more contagious than any physical virus, but Christians need not fear it. John”s epistle promises, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Not that we take sin lightly. We initiate firm, sometimes even drastic, measures to protect ourselves against it. But we don”t shy away from people close to us who demonstrate sin”s symptoms. Our mission is to serve them and point them to healing.

The mission came from Jesus. On the night before his death, Jesus prayed for those who would follow him: “I give them a mission in the world” (John 17, 18, The Message).

The apostle Paul enunciated this mission when he wrote the Corinthians, “God . . . reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation . . . . We are therefore Christ”s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 20).

And Paul made it clear that he had taken this mission as his own: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me””the task of testifying to the gospel of God”s grace” (Acts 20:24).

Doctors serving in West Africa demonstrated a similar commitment to their mission of healing Ebola”s victims. Now doctors in America are treating two of their own stricken with the disease. Their readiness to sacrifice themselves for healing is an example to Christians charged with sharing a surer cure for the most serious malady of all.

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Ready to heal - The Layman Online - […] Read more at https://christianstandard.com/2014/08/ready-to-heal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campai… […]

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Articles

Ministry Help Wanted

Recent postings: Impact Christian Church (Moon Township, Pa.) is seeking an executive pastor. The Christian Campus Foundation (CCF) at the University of Illinois is seeking a full-time director of campus ministry. New Brighton (Minn.) Christian Church needs a new senior minister. Summit Christian College (Gering, Neb.) is accepting applications for the position of academic dean. And more . . .

Stories

By taking these symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, we announce we believe there really was a Jesus, and he really did die for us and carried all our sins down to a grave . . .

Documentary Highlights Christian Response to Pandemics

Southeast Christian Church’s “Purpose in Pandemics” is a documentary that follows the response of the church to pandemics throughout history. The “Purpose in Pandemics” website also includes a study guide for small groups and individuals.

Used of God

I soaked up Sam Stone’s wit and wisdom during our lunches together. Afterward, I’d take notes about our conversations. After hearing of his passing, inspired by his wordsmithing, I felt compelled to share just a small part of his story.

Sam E. Stone: ‘He Tried to Speak the Truth in Love’

In memory and appreciation of our former editor, Sam E. Stone, who died early this week, we share this 2011 column from Christian Standard’s archives in which Sam discussed four Scripture verses significant to his life.

Elliott Library ‘Cornerstone’ Laid

Three Bibles of historical significance to Cincinnati Christian University were the first books place on the shelves during relocation of the George Mark Elliott Library.

The Death of Evil

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saw in minority groups’ struggles for social equality in America a parallel with Israel’s bondage in Egypt. King envisioned God’s goodness would deliver the U.S. from the evil of segregation.

Mark Scott’s Greatest Kingdom Impact

Since I first enrolled at Ozark Christian College, Mark Scott has been my kingdom hero, and I’m not the only young preacher Mark has shaped. Over his 35 years at OCC, Mark has inspired generations of students.

‘Have We Plans for 1921?’

“All the Standard asks is the opportunity to serve, and it yearns to render in 1921 the greatest, finest, and best service of its history. . . .”

News Briefs for Dec. 9

Items from Timber Lake Christian Church (Moberly, Mo.), Choateville Christian Church (Frankfort, Ky.), Johnson University, and more.

My Counsel for Young Preachers

If I were counseling an aspiring young preacher fresh out of Bible college or seminary, champing at the bit to lead in the church, I would offer these three bits of advice.

My Memories of Marshall Leggett

By Ben Merold
As I think about Marshall Leggett, who passed away on March 2 at age 90, two personal experiences keep coming to my mind . . .

Powell Quintuplets Graduating from High School

When the Powell quintuplets were born in 2001, all of Kentucky celebrated, including Southeast Christian Church, where the Powells are longtime members. Now the quints are 18 and are all headed to the same university.

Reentry: It May Be Harder Than We Think

When the COVID-19 crisis eases, I anticipate that reentry is going to be harder than some people think. Churches, especially, need to prepare for this.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Easter Church Attendance’ (1949)

“This Lord’s Day will find nearly all the churches having the largest crowds of the year,” editor Burris Butler wrote in 1949. “It has become almost proverbial that many people attend church on Easter Sunday who never come at any other time” . . .

News Briefs for March 27

Ozark Christian College has updated their logo. Also, briefs from Harlan (Ky.) Christian Church, Summit Christian College, and the Common Grounds Unity Podcast.

The Best Sermon I Never Heard

“Can I tell you about the best sermon I never heard?” Matt Proctor asked the crowd at ICOM last November. “If I could time travel just once . . . I would go back to Luke 24. On that very first Easter Sunday . . . the resurrected Jesus is walking on the road to Emmaus, talking with two travelers. . . .”

KCU Announces Agreements with LBC, NEOBC

Kentucky Christian University has announced separate agreements to enable those who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisville Bible College or Northeast Ohio Bible College to seamlessly transition into the graduate programs offered by KCU’s Keeran School of Bible and Ministry. . . .

Follow Us