What does it mean to be a Christian hospital? Do you treat everyone? Do you force people to adhere to your religion in order to be treated?
These are questions that we get a lot about Soddo Christian Hospital. They are good questions. At Soddo Christian Hospital, we want to share the Good News in love. We seek to imitate Christ, and so be the fragrance of life to those who are perishing without the Gospel.
One of the things we seek to do at our hospital is “provide excellent medical services”. As a Christian institution, we want to follow the Biblical mandate that “whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God”. (I Cor. 10:31) So, from the time our patients come in the front door of the hospital, regardless of their creed, color, or sex, we desire that our staff would give them the excellent medical care that they deserve. Of course, we share with our patients about the sacrificial, atoning death of Jesus Christ for their sins. Is their care is predicated on accepting this truth? No! But we do want them to know why we do what we do.
One such incredible demonstration of superb care happened recently in our hospital. This young man had been in a horrible traffic accident. He came to Soddo Christian Hospital clinging to life.
A severe head injury with an open skull fracture.
A crushed pelvis.
Multiple fractured ribs.
For weeks he lay in our intensive care unit, getting supportive care and surgeries when they were indicated. Our nurses tended to his every need. Turning his frail body so he wouldn’t get bed sores. Managing his catheters. Keeping him hydrated and nourished.
But complications kept coming. His open skull fracture got infected. His organs tried to shut down many times. But through it all, steady and consistent critical care was given to him by our team of capable nurses and doctors. And from above, the Great Physician was mending his wounds internally.
Slowly, he began to recover. The nurses began to roll him outside for sunshine. I can remember on Easter Sunday, seeing him on the front porch of the Intensive Care Unit, in a wheelchair, with a few of our ICU nurses. They wanted him to see the grace of God in the beams of sunshine on Resurrection Sunday.
Today, months later, he is discharged and walking again with the support of a cane. Of the six months in the hospital, all but the last week were in Intensive Care. He stood before our chapel service today, his wife by his side, with tears in their eyes to say thanks. Indeed, most of us wept as we witnessed a man snatched from the jaws of death. While he did not become an Evangelical believer during his time with us, his care is a testimony to excellent medical service provided by our staff in the name of Christ. And for that we rejoice. We pray that we would become servants to all, as Paul said, “that we might win those who are under the law.” (1 Cor 9:20) As Christians, we know that physical healing is amazing, but the most essential healing of all is reconciling a man’s soul to God. And so we pray that this patient and others like him would come to that place.
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