HEALTH evangelism is ordinarily discussed either in the light of the philosophical the "why," or the methodological the "how." In this article, however, I demonstrate that the "why," when clearly perceived, naturally points the way to the "how."
The Aim of Health Evangelism
The gospel is the practical answer to earth's most immediate and pressing problem. Its aim is to change the nature of man, so that man's acts are creative and wholesome; to eradicate the past evil a man has committed, so that he is free from the burden of his guilt. Just as it is the aim of the physician to repair the metabolic imbalance of his patient, to eradicate infection, and re-establish the natural state of health.
"Health" is a concept that most people comprehend in a limited way at least. Even the primitive Solomon Islander knows the difference between "body strong" and "body weak." He will come to the doctor and present his symptoms: "cough," "short wind," "body hot." Treatment is prescribed, and in a few days he says, beaming, "Body strong, doctor. Me go home now."
But to restore the physical man to a modicum of health is no longer considered sufficient even by the "secular" medical world. Mental health, social health, environmental health these complete the picture of the whole man in the eyes of the world. Our unique contribution can be a fuller development of the concept of spiritual health. Man in his society, in his world, is not complete. He exists as the agent of God in the world. His work is to assert God's will in the earth. He is only complete as he accepts his given role. Salvation provides a quality of integrity in man's physical condition, in his social relationships, in his creation and maintenance of the physical world in which he lives, in his relationship with God.
This relationship with God is the vehicle through which all the other aims are achieved. There fore, the health message bears the same relation to the work of the third angel's message that the arm and hand bear to the body. It is not just a toe in the door to allow the evangelist an opportunity to speak. It is an integral part of the gospel.
God is concerned with the problems of family and community life, the problem of the usage of the resources He has given man, the problems of disease of mind and body. He wishes to create a new world, a world of integrity. It is about man's responsibility to these elements of his life that God wishes to speak to man, and it is the work of the evangelist to speak for Him.
God made man in His image, a creative being, and as such he was given free will. He could will to be destructive, as well as creative. Man was made "of the dust of the ground" a creature of atoms and molecules obeying physicochemical laws. This was the self-destruct mechanism that would preserve the universe if mankind became destructive.
In order for man to continue to exist, he had to care for his health and the health of his environment, nurture his offspring, love his fellow men, and maintain his relationship with God. His environment was as potentially lethal to him as the world is dangerous to an eighteen-month-old child. Heights, sharp edges, biological poisons, were in the realm of his experience. There was no room for experimentation. No room for trial and error. Any mistake, any destructive act, and the "ecological cycle" would be broken. Man's continued existence depended absolutely on his complete obedience to God's directions, even if they appeared arbitrary at the time.
If man chose not to listen and disobeyed, he would cease to learn the easy way, the creative way. Instead he would learn by bitter experience. Knowing that man could make the wrong choice, God prepared him to meet the consequences.
At every level of existence and life, God built within His creation fail-safe devices that have enabled man and his world to resist the devil's attempts to disrupt and destroy. The inbuilt capacity of plant and animal to adapt to environmental change has preserved the "web of life" against the devil's insults of drought, wind, flood, heat, and cold. On the cellular level, the human body's defense mechanism (white cells, plasma proteins, the "immunological system") has preserved human existence through six millenniums of constant germ and biological warfare, as long as men have cooperated with the laws of health.
Just as there are laws--necessary relationships--for the proper functioning of the human body, so there are necessary relationships and patterns of behavior governing the actions of man toward his fellows, toward the world, and toward God. The sanctity of marriage, parental responsibility for child care, the sacredness of human life these principles of human behavior are as essential to continued human existence as the circulation of the blood is necessary for human life. These are a social counterpart of the biochemical genetic code that rigidly orders the construction of every macro-molecule in a healthy human cell.
In man's conscience God has created an instinctive awareness of man's rightful behavior. Man can only achieve his full physical, mental, and social potential as he knows and obeys these laws of life. Man can only fully know and fully obey these laws in a relationship with his Creator. Only within this relationship is he a truly spiritual being.
A Plan of Approach
All of this gives us direction in our approach to the "how" of health evangelism. We must convince those who do not under stand "creative living" that their bodies, their minds, their social selves, are not healthy, that there are defects in their manner of living that are slowly, insidiously destroying them.
They must realize, too, that although they might achieve some part of the process of re-creation in their own strength, they can never achieve it in its totality without a personal relationship with God. They must see this relationship as something good in itself, to be desired and cherished.
In sequence, then, we can reveal God's true intention for man. First, His program for physical well-being: good food, pure air, clean water, exercise, proper posture, restful sleep. Second, His plan for social well-being: the family as the basic unit of society; the inviolable relationships within it; the privilege of parenthood; the aims of each stage of child hood development; proper parental relationships to achieve these goals.
Third, the basis of intellectual health: a true world view; the reality of revelation, and its role in human thought; true science and its unity with Inspiration. And finally, the necessity of spiritual well-being: the science of salvation; how archeological and historical evidence confirm a man's burgeoning experience of the Scripture's reality and relevance.
The Sabbath is introduced as an integrating factor in man's existence. Its contribution to man's physical, social, mental, and spiritual health is demonstrated. The day of rest is presented as a time for completion of the cycle of living as illustrated in the accompanying diagram:
The observance of the Sabbath becomes especially significant as a symbol of our offering of ourselves and what we have achieved to God, and our gratitude for the potential and direction He has given us. It thus leads to a vision of new responsibility that, in turn, carries into the actions and achievements of the "secular" week.
We have presented herein a method of approach to the development of truth that is designed to reach "the whole man." It meets him on the level of his interests and needs and then leads him to those powerful, motivating, religious forces that alone can assure him permanent health-behavior change.
Some Practical Principles
Throughout this line of approach:
1. We present the lives of people in the Bible as examples of the problems we discuss.
2. We ask for commitment and action on each element of right living we discuss.
3. From the beginning, we foster the use of an experimental relationship with the Power out side ourselves, to give strength and direction to the good intentions of those convicted of the wrong in their lives. The listener is encouraged to use this relation ship to solve his particular problems. There is no need to be overly "religious" about this. As the person finds that the relation ship works, he begins to experience the "personality" of God, and as we encourage him to be thankful to God for what has been achieved, he truly learns to worship.
4. From the beginning we present examples of Ellen G. White's counsels on the matter under discussion. By the time the course of studies is completed, the new believer has developed an unshakable faith in the inspiration of the "Spirit of Prophecy" from his own reading of Mrs. White's works.
Conclusion
By clearly understanding the "why" of health evangelism we are lead to a consistent pattern in developing the "how." Such a concept, presented to the world, will demonstrate the utter sense and practicality of the Christian purpose and method. It clearly demarcates our concept of "salvation" from the narrowly "religious," theoretical concepts held by the rest of the Christian world, and gives us a presentation we can boldly offer the educated classes, confident in the rigor of our intellectual integrity.
