Health and wellbeing is a crucial part of every person thriving, and must be protected as port of a holistic understanding of the human person as body, mind and spirit. We all need support and help as we care for our body and our mind.
But our health often fails. The Bible tells us that since the fall, creation is fractured and not as it should be. We see this in death and loss, illness, and the ever-growing demand for mental health services. All human beings experience this brokenness in some form.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. Through His humanity, Jesus can empathise with every experience and struggle with health and wellbeing – be it physical, mental or spiritual. Through Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, He has made possible the transformation of all human experiences, including our health and wellbeing, and offers full restoration in the life to come.
The Evangelical Alliance seeks to equip the church to be a community where people’s health and wellbeing is transformed as they enjoy community and participate in our shared inherent human dignity.
We seek to increase awareness and lessen the stigma for those experiencing poor health and wellbeing. We speak up when people with disability or poor health are overlooked. We engage on issues such as safeguarding policy, seeking to model Jesus in protecting the vulnerable and ensuring justice is carried out. UK culture today can be devaluing and disempowering for people experiencing poor health and wellbeing, with an increasingly merit based value system. Therefore, we also participate in government consultations around issues of abortion and euthanasia where those with disability and illness may be discriminated against.
God bestows value on every human, and has a good purpose for every life, therefore we must take matters of health and wellbeing seriously.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28