doctor's life support

5th November: Misunderstanding

But if when you do right and suffer for it patiently, you have God's approval. 1 Peter 2:20

Ever since I was a child, nothing would cause me to lose my temper more quickly than being accused of something of which I was totally innocent. Even today I find it hard to take such misunderstandings, especially when it is the spiritual dimension of my life that is under fire.

My postgraduate training in medicine has recently involved much close contact with a senior doctor who has been observing not only my clinical ability, but many other aspect of my life, and with whom I have had hours of both academic and social discussion. He is one unbeliever who has grown to know me fairly well, and I have been literally staggered by the misconceptions he has about Christian belief that come up in our conversations.

As we have considered the old problems of euthanasia, abortion and so on, I have realised why this man initially looked at me so askance on hearing that I was a follower of Jesus Christ.

To take just one point, he had always thought that Christians were rather `anti-life' in their approach. They were so concerned with heavenly goals and aspirations that, compared with life hereafter, our three-score and ten on earth were completely overshadowed; so it didn't really matter too much what our values on human worth were like!

It was both a painful discovery to realise that I was viewed in this way, but also a useful opportunity to try to correct this man's distorted vision of Christianity. However he is only one of many thousands who do not understand us. And I have come to see that being misconstrued in this way is part of the price that all Christians have to pay for their faith, and perhaps particularly those of us who are also doctors and who thus have our reputation with our patients at stake.

We can thank God that the Lord Jesus is our brother in this, as in all other areas of life. His reputation was something that he was prepared to hold very lightly indeed as he faced the misunderstanding and ridicule of the many, in order that he might bring the truth to those who were really ready to listen.

Are we willing to follow his example or are we over concerned about what the majority of our contemporaries in medicine will inevitably think?

Further reading: 1 Pet 2:18-25. Eph 6:5-8. Col 3:22-25.

TGS