Social/Cultural Transformation

Doctors and medicine were never condemned by God but were condemned as idolatry if people sought human doctors and medicines without seeking God Himself (Jeremiah 46:11b). Galatians 5:19-21 declares that the abuse of drugs is witchcraft. The Greek word for witchcraft is pharmakeia. The English word pharmacy is a derivative. Medicines or drugs that provide altered states of mind deceive the body into a delusion that there is nothing causing pain, when in fact there is. It is proper and wise to use medicine to treat diseases, but there should also be an effort in searching for the cause of the disease (of course, if cause is known and terminal then it is okay to provide relief).

Medicine itself is a Biblical idea. Ezekiel 47:12 refers to the use of trees, leaves, oils, incense, and plants for medicine. These are good alternatives to other drugs and surgery. Even if a certain medical practice can be successful, it does not necessarily mean that it is approved by God. Abortion procedures “work” but are immoral and criminal by God’s standards. Even though a common traditional medicine may be accepted by a culture or community, the believer is still responsible to evaluate it biblically and ethically against God’s standards.

Besides the general responsibility to care for the poor, victims of natural or human-caused disasters must be assisted as well. Earthquakes, famine, and weather-related events create critical need for emergency relief. Other times tragedies needing assistance may be caused by civil war or terrorism, creating refugees, starvation and wounds. The church must be prepared to contribute.

In the same way, where the environment and natural resources are being polluted and wasted, it is our calling to be good stewards of creation.

The problem of division in nations is an area where Christians can have significant influence. Racial and tribal reconciliation, especially where divisions have been enforced by government through immoral segregationist laws and policies, is one of the most challenging areas in many developing nations. Religious and denominational divisions can be intertwined as well, causing unbelievers to refrain from church involvement. Education and economic divides are also problematic. These areas are sources of deep wounding for many nations especially when these divisions have existed for generations and even sometimes led to war.

The United Nations has the ability to send peace-keepers to stop war and create buffers that reduce violence. Governments can eliminate unjust discriminatory laws that will help ease tension and rectify certain wrongs. Churches can gather and pray for their country. But healing is never accomplished simply through the end of violence, prayer, or the passage of laws. True cultural healing occurs when the church acts in courageous ways to “lay hands on the sick” in their nation.