The U.S. Congress is in the process of considering health-care reform legislation. It is quite possible that if this legislation is not passed before the August recess, it will not pass at all.

A massive campaign against reform has begun. It will gain momentum in the weeks ahead when many millions of dollars are to be spent on television, radio and newspaper ads distorting the proposed legislation.

United Methodists need to contact their members of Congress and urge support of health-care reform that includes a strong public option.

United Methodists need to contact their members of Congress and urge support of health-care reform that includes a strong public option. The United Methodist Church supports such an option because we do not want to see the vulnerable people among us without health-care coverage. Our faith demands we not only pray for those who are ill, but that we seek a system to care for them.

The impoverished and those with pre-existing conditions dominate the ranks of the nearly 50 million people without coverage. It is our choice as a nation that they do not have adequate and accessible care. Trips to the emergency room cannot replace the quality of care people receive from doctors and nurses over the course of time.

We at the General Board of Church & Society have worked hard to secure passage of reform that provides health care for all people in the United States. This year represents a rare window of opportunity to achieve passage of legislation to accomplish the goal of providing health care for all people in the United States.

Jesus provided a promise of God’s grace for us all when he proclaimed in John 10:10 we shall “have Life, and have it abundantly.” The kairos moment has been thrust upon us. Voices of people of faith are required to proclaim a prophetic word that everyone has access to the abundance God offers to us.

The U.S. health-care system has huge gaps for the insured and uninsured alike. The prophetic word in this situation proclaims the necessity of making the system whole again so that no one is left on the outside of a health-care system in the richest nation in the world.

The U.S. health-care system has huge gaps
for the insured and uninsured alike.

We are told it simply costs too much to provide health care for everyone. This attitude will only change when we insist that everyone must be cared for.

We are told the government cannot be trusted to provide a public option, and that only private enterprise should be involved. I have a hard time conceiving of health care as a business. It’s not; it is a calling that has been perverted into a business. Profit should not be the motivating force behind health care.

I ask you to contact your members of Congress. Ask them to support health-care reform that includes a strong public option. Please identify yourself as a United Methodist. The Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-2151. The operator can transfer you to the office of your senator or representative.