Health Is Costly?

SUN., NOV. 15, 1992, 7:36 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your culture struggles with a dilemma. You continue to develop technologies and procedures that will prolong life by staving off “premature” death. These tend to be “wonderful” but costly. Thus they are most available to those who have some wealth or some bountiful insurance. And it now becomes more evident that those who do not have the “means”, one way or another, do not enjoy the advantages of these new developments.

This situation, which prevails “naturally” in many cultures, creates a dilemma here, because you have such means of communication that this “gap” is now widely known AND a spirit of democracy that urges equality in life prolonging means. The dilemma is worsened by a rather staunch reluctance to pay more taxes to make this Asclepian dream a reality. So what do I, the Holy Spirit, have to say about this, on a frosty Sunday?

I’ll first reiterate, unsurprisingly, that My concept of health is not based in high tech medical care. I have no objection to its development, and I have worked along with modern medicine to prolong and rejuvenate some lives who were offering services to Me, but many of these technologies I see as excessive and extravagant. There is disease, infection, and illness still evident in the world, but I see much of it as just the balance of life and as lack of capacity to adapt to the world as it is and as it has developed. I just say again that many conditions calling for medical care have been caused or abetted by the residue of other “developments” deemed necessary, important, or possible by your culture. It is not My task to magically make dangerous developments safe.

In My view health is costly only in that you have to turn away from yourself and many of your perceived needs and come to Me, offering service to Me and to some of your fellow humans. A healthy life comes out of simple living, faith in Me, and a desire to give rather than get. Now here’s another side of the dilemma, stemming from My “definition,” just given.

Many in your culture are basically strong and do live rather healthfully. Their medical needs are few, and they feel there should be some reward for such good health. They resent having to pay more, in insurance or taxes, for services needed by a relative few, who are not strong and/or who have unhealthy lifestyles. But is this not the “giving” that is one of My essentials for health? To give when the recipient is undeserving is more spiritually rewarding… even as it often does not seem to be. Complete this after your morning worship and class discussion. ( 8:10 AM / 8:15 PM )

Here you are again, after a day of varied activities and little thought about the completion of this Teaching. Never mind. I shall continue.

The point I am emphasizing is in the spirit of “the last shall be first, and the first, last.” It certainly is reasonable to feel that if you have followed a regimen of life that is health positive… and it “works”… you have good health and need minimal if any medical care that you shouldn’t have to pay for the excesses or the weaknesses of those with large health-related… or ill-health related… bills. So what do I say?

I say that you should see the physical health you enjoy as the blessing, the bonus, the reward, quite sufficient. You needn’t have any further benefit. You who are well should pay for those who have needs. It is costly for you, and not for the one suffering. It costs you to be healthy! And you should appreciate this interpretation, one that you did not expect.