the glory and the horror

Sexuality issues still high on the agenda of General Convention

Some more on the history of sexuality issues within the Episcopal Church.

Sigh.

Mixed reaction to New Hampshire bishop election

Sigh. The decline of the authority of Scripture continues. I heard an interview with Rev. Robinson on NPR this morning, and it saddens me. He sounds like a very articulate, capable man, who tends to have his theology right, with this exception. And this exception troubles me not because it’s about homosexuality, but because it’s indicative of a manner of interpretation of Scripture that picks and chooses. He talks about salvific faith in Christ as the common ground, and apparently appeals to Scripture for that, but at the same time, ignores that which he disagrees with.

He sounded like a really great guy, and clearly wants even those who disagree with him to be a part of his local church. But this brings up the question – when is it time to leave? How much heresy is too much? This isn’t an essential of the faith for salvation, but at the same time, it’s quite disturbing that someone can make it this far up in the leadership of any denomination with a clearly unscriptural view and lifestyle. It’s disturbing that leadership can interpret Scripture this way and still be considered qualified leadership.

I think I’ll finally have to admit it. For some of you, you know what I mean when I say that I’ve been afraid to admit that I really enjoy medicine. I’ve done a lot of complaining/criticizing/analyzing of the state of the art of medicine in the US, but I really do enjoy medicine. I enjoy learning it, I enjoy thinking about it, I enjoy wanting to return it to the ideals of old.

The Hippocratic oath wasn’t just something people swore. It was a life-changing covenant, between the gods and the doctor-to-be. It was entered into BEFORE any training, and only after entering into this covenant was the individual ready to begin his education. It was more than a service, and it was more than being a technician. It’s a committment to the patient, to hang with them even when there’s nothing more that science has to offer. It is to use your best judgment and training for the restoration of health, and not just a means to make money.

By entering into the physician’s covenant, one is committing to serve in a manner as only one other profession does. Only clergy and religious leaders touch human lives and delve into what it means to truly be human, to wrestle with the life and death, in the same way as physicians. As such, we future physicians ought to recognize that we have covenanted to join in an endeavor which ultimately demands much of us, and with God as the example of the Great Physician, we are given an impossibly high standard.

“Jesus calls his disciples to the way of the cross – but to a life of aggressive, active, self-expending love, not passive quiescent submission to death… Salvation liberated the sinner from external and destructive power, it did not merely transform inner attitudes. The Gospels provide ample warrant for physician, nurse and patient to fight disease and death.” William May in The Physician’s Covenant

In the same manner, the physician is also called to recognize his or her limits. The art and training can only take one so far. Humanity is still finite, as is humanity’s knowledge and technology. We will still run into situations which we cannot solve. Death happens to be one of them, and as physicians, we must come to grips with that. There is a time to live and a time to die, and as May says, “The medical profession ought not to define itself wholly by the effort to prolong life at any cost.” Christ Himself struggled, but also knew that there was a time and place for all things, including death – including His own.

Death also offers an amazing opportunity for the Body of Christ to suffer with each other, to mourn with those who mourn, to love them and pour out into their lives, to love each other deeply. Painful and discomforting as it may be, Christians ought to know as well as anyone that death is not final, and that even in the process of dying, there is still much to be learned, much to be thankful for, and opportunities to glorify God through and because of the experience. Death, in and of itself, is not some evil, dangerous thing. It is simply a part of the experience of being human, since we’re all going to die. The question then becomes how, and as physicians, we are covenanting to be a part of that as well.

I accidentally locked myself out of my car tonight. Providentially, there was a campus police officer right here at the complex, and he had a slimjim on him. First time I’d ever really used one. It only took about 5 minutes before I got it to work. A little scary, but good at the same time. Scary, because the car is that easy to break into. Good because it means I got my keys back, and I could get back into my apartment.

Yahoo! News – Annan Urges U.S. to Deploy Troops in Liberia Now

Strange. This is the same bunch of folks who threw a hissy-fit about the US acting too unilaterally a couple months ago. Sheesh. At least they could try to be consistent. When the US was ready to go before, they were trying to hold the US back. Now that the US is going slow, they’re trying to prod the US forward.

entry 279 from the musings of an ex-church janitor

I am feeling some of the same tension as I sit here, living off of loan money, and quite comfortably, at that. In fact, here I am contemplating spending $300+ on a digital camera. Not that I need one. I’d like one, and I think I could come up with some really great uses for it. $300+ worth of uses? I’m not sure. I tell myself I’d save money on film and developing costs. I’d only develop the pictures I actually want.

$300 some odd dollars would go far with World Vision. Or Compassion International. Or just the missions fund at church.

From today’s San Jose Mercury News:

Silent courage

Regardless of whether or not one thinks the military actions of late are justifiable or not, it must be noted that the two men in this article were very intentional in giving up the opportunity to make large sums of money for something they thought was more important than money.

Yahoo! News – Peru Doctor Performs Brain Surgery with Store Drill

I hope one day that I am as resourceful and capable as this doctor is.

No Free Lunch

Interesting. But they do hook me up with breakfast and lunch nearly every day that I’ve been at the office for my preceptorship.

Kathleen pointed out that The Hunger Site has a search engine that donates food every time it’s used. It’s on the left sidebar, at the bottom.