Health deals with human lives and anything that dehumanizes the well being of peoples‘ lives undermines the very essence of life. As we have seen above, the sum total of life encompasses a number of factors that go far beyond what a human eye can see or even prove empirically. In order to understand what it means to be human we need to go back to the beginning of human existence and ask the question –what does it mean to be human? Hans Kung makes a statement that ‗what is truly human and humane is not at all obvious.‘163 Being human is correctly understood by examining the human anatomy in light of the teaching that human beings are created in the image of God- imago Dei. Human beings are created in the very image of God and this is what gives them the dignity. Human beings are image bearers of the divine. This image according to Jurgen Moltmann is more than just the spiritual aspect of human nature but the whole of the person. He argues that:
The whole person, not merely his soul; the true human community, not only the individual; humanity as it is bound up with nature, not simply human beings in their confrontation with nature – it is these which are the image of God and his glory.164
Looking at Moltmann‘s understanding of humanity it is clear that humanity can only exist in reality in relation to the rest of God‘s creation. The fact that the image and likeness of God in humanity has suffered corruption and distortion because of sin, does not rob human beings of their dignity. The presence of sin has deprived humanity the full enjoyment of Gods‘ intended plan for humanity, but it does not make human beings less human. Sin has impaired and clouded the spirit and mind of human beings, and impacted upon their relationships with God and other
163 Kung, Hans. On being a Christian ( Glasgow; Fount paperback. 1978) p559.
164 Moltmann, Jurgen. God in creation; An Ecological doctrine of creation (London: SCM, 1985) p 221.
people. However, the mark of God –imago Dei - still remains in their lives and it is this that gives humanity dignity and respect.
Therefore, anything that works to undermine the image of God and that dehumanizes peoples‘
lives such as illness poor health and social structures that contribute to such must be a concern to be addressed by the church and religious institutions. Things such as inhumane economic structures, health policies and public health services, which contribute to the dehumanizing of people, need the attention of the church. The religious health institutions and churches have assets such as networks, advocacy and education, which they should constantly employ in order to give or promote wholesome health.
Health and well being are aspects of life that contribute to the wholeness of human beings and consequently contribute to the enhancement of human dignity. The imago Dei is a theological grounding that should inform these religious institutions‘ involvement in matters of health, healing and social services.
6.3 The integral mission of the church in the context of health service – the missio Dei
The mission of God in the world is made visible through the integral or holistic mission of the church. The involvement of the churches and religious health institutions in health provision is a demonstration of this integral mission in the world. A brief look at the profile of the four institutions which participated in the research165, reveals that the under girding motif in their involvement in health is their commitment to integral mission.
The research study clearly demonstrates the fact that the missio Dei is a holistic mission to which the church is called to and commissioned to be an instrument for the transformation of all things.166 The mission is holistic because it depends on the mission of God, which includes the rest of all creation and human life.
165 See chapter 4, 4.1.1 on the Institutional background profile, all of them started with the narrow spiritual response to the salvation of ‗souls‘ until they realised that human beings live in a real world which affects all aspects of life economic, political, social, cultural and spiritual. And the church has to respond in a holistic manner to address the needs of humanity.
166 Colossians 1:20 ‗ by him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth, or things in heaven‘ [ NKJV- Bible]
There has been a paradigm shift in the call of the church to its mission in the world - a call to holistic or integral mission. The traditional dichotomized vision and mission of the church which was highly influenced by the western world view of the ‗secular and sacred‘ divide, resulting in the tension between ‗evangelism and social action‘, poses some challenges on the holistic ministry of the church.
Thomas Yaccino,167 gives three biblical warrants for holistic mission and why churches or religious institution should be involved integral mission. First, there is the character of God.
The God of the biblical revelation, being both Creator and Redeemer, is a God who cares about the total well-being (spiritual and material) of all the human beings he has made. As we have noted above in the findings of the religious health institutions contribution to health, they as agents of God contribute to the total well being of peoples‘ lives. The second ground for holism is the ministry and teaching of Jesus. Words and works went together in his public ministry. He preached the coming of the Kingdom of God and he demonstrated its arrival by his works of compassion, love and power. His words explained his works and his works demonstrated his words. Jesus‘ healing ministry was the visible manifestation of part of his mission in the world.
This is well articulated in what is commonly believed to be His missions manifesto in Luke 4:
18.168 Where Jesus works made his words visible and his words made his works intelligible.
The third biblical argument he gives for holism concerns the communication of the gospel- the good news. The good news was preached through word and deed. God‘s word became flesh.
We cannot announce God‘s love with credibility unless we also exhibit it in action. Therefore, the church cannot stand aloof from those to whom we speak the good news, or ignore their situation, their context. Yaccino says we are compelled by the love of Christ to enter into their social reality and share in their sufferings and their struggles. At that point our actions themselves become preaching.
167 Thomas G.Yaccino, Supporting Information for the Presentation on holistic Ministry: Extension Ministries Cluster Leaders- paper presented at Red Del Camino. May 2nd, 2000.
168 Luke 4: 18 ‗ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.. He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed‘
Steve de Gruchy states that the task of the church in the world is to participate in the missio Dei.169 The missio Dei encompasses everything that enhances the welfare of human beings and it is to this end that the church is a called to in her integral mission. Issues of health and well being affect the general health of communities and the church has a biblical mandate or warrant to engage in holistic or integral mission in order to address any vices that dehumanize people.
Rene Padilla makes a strong statement on the integral mission of the church. He says that, Biblically, the agent of holistic mission is not a Para-church organization, but a community empowered by the spirit of God 170
Padilla affirms that the church or community of the redeemed people is the right agent in the world to continue the work Jesus Christ began as God incarnate to transform individuals, political, economic and cultural contexts in which they live to the fullness of life. Health is at the center of human productivity and therefore remains a vital key in human existence and enjoyment of abundant life. The religious institutions involvement in health services is a clear demonstration of the holistic mission of the church.
Bishop John V. Taylor describes this work of the church with a three stand approach that ‗the Christian are called to articulate the gospel through what they say (proclaim) what they are (witness) and what they do (service).171 This is what integral mission is all about.
The church is God‘s instrument that is called to be a community with a mission and that mission is to proclaim the good news of hope in Christ in its holistic or integral ministry. The fact that the church finds itself in a specific social context, placed by God to display the purposes of God in the restoration of humanity, serves as a necessary asset and resource to engage and respond to the needs of community with love, care and healing ministry.
169 Steve Degruchy, ―Ten theological Theses on mission and development,‖ plenary address: Micah Africa regional conference, Johannesburg, September 20-23, 2004. p3
170 Rene Padilla, Mission magazine, editorial volume 62, 2005.
171 Bishop John V. Taylor. For All the World, Holder and Stoughton, Chicago.19966. p40.