A Day in the ER

      I spent most of the day yesterday in the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s hospital. Before you feel too concerned for me you should realize that it was in the waiting area for the ER. I was not a patient. Joanne was with her mom, who was the patient. Most of us who have been in ERs know that the wait to be seen, treated, and possibly admitted can feel like forever. I had a small computer with me so I was able to do some work while I waited. That was helpful in passing the time. It is not a way or place in which I would typically like to work, but there are a few lessons I can learn by observing what takes place in an Emergency Room over a few hours.

First… we live in a world where so many people are hurting, but we don’t always take the time to see the needs. The maladies are different, but the fear, anxiousness, discomfort, and uncertainties people have share some common threads. Whether they are ragged or refined, everyone comes in with hope that something can be done for them. You can see the trouble in their eyes or on their faces or in their body language. People who accompany the hurting look like they feel helpless and weak, though they want their loved one/friend to feel better. Hurting people are looking for a place to go for answers to their pain and hope for their healing.

Secondly, people feel out of place in the ER (except the workers/employees). They feel like strangers. They seem unsure of what to say or where to go. They get asked a lot of questions by people they don’t know  and they wonder how long they will have to wait. For some it will be a long time. Sometimes others (who even came in after they did) seem to get priority. The needs of some are greater and more immediate than others. The waiting can be hard on some people, especially if they have “things to do” or “places to go”. Most of them want to be someplace else, but know they need to be there.

Third, the people offering help (the employees) seem to genuinely care about those who come in, but they also are very busy. They do their job efficiently, but much of their work is not face-to-face care with the hurting. In time, everyone is “seen” and the first question they are asked by the PA is, “What’s going on?” or “What brought you in today?” People can’t always articulate clearly what the problem is. For others, the problem is obvious. For the most part, those who are there every day doing their jobs show respect and courtesy for all who come in. They are trained to (at least outwardly) show no bias or favoritism. Their training helps them to meet the needs of people “on edge”.

Lastly, from what I observed most people come for treatment and then leave (the same day). A few are admitted for ongoing hospital observation and care. Either way, those who come in are looking for a reason to have hope. They are looking for help. I think, too, they are looking for someone to relate to them in a loving way, because they need assurance that everything will be okay.

This day in the ER has me thinking about some parallels between it and the Church. What are the similarities and differences when a person comes into our church? What if you read this email again, as if it were the church I was describing? It might be an interesting and enlightening exercise. I will leave it to you to ponder the question and to prayerfully seek God’s guidance and will for our ministry to others.

Luke 19:10 (NIV) ¹⁰  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Luke 5:31-32 (NIV) ³¹  Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³²  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matthew 9:35-36 (NIV) ³⁵  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

PRAYER:  Father God, may our church be a spiritual hospital of your love, where people can find healing for their souls be meeting the Great Physician. May they find hope in Christ! And may they find in me, as part of my church, a spirit of grace and one who truly cares for them. May I be a person of compassion like Jesus.  In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott