I write on the final morning of my family’s two-week vacation at the beach. The weather has been beautiful, the ocean warm, the celebrations unforgettable, and the parting bittersweet, but we’ve already reserved the same house for next year.

My family is extremely busy, so no one makes excuses about bringing work and laptops on vacation. There were late night corporate conference calls, legal work to do, sermons to write, and the ministry of the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society to address. Nevertheless, work was a sideline matter.

There is zero chance their situations and those of tens of millions of others will improve if nothing is done.

Yesterday, eight of our family played golf. Afterwards, I had lunch in the clubhouse. Sitting at the bar was an older man. When a report appeared on the television screen about the organized protests taking place at congressional town hall meetings across the country he hooted in appreciation. When President Obama’s picture appeared with a Hitler-style mustache painted below his nose, he laughed uproariously and exclaimed, “We’re not going to let you shove your health-care reform down our throats.”

The man turned to the waitress and asked, “Have you been watching these protests?”

The waitress responded: “I guess those folks already have health insurance. My husband was on disability, but his benefits ran out. Now, it costs us $2,400 a month for health insurance. That’s why I’m still working at my age.”

I expected an argument to erupt at this point. Instead, the older man surprised me when he replied: “I know what you mean. I used to work for General Motors, but when I turned 65 they decided I didn’t need health insurance anymore.”

The man and waitress continued to commiserate with one another about their predicaments. There is zero chance their situations and those of tens of millions of others will improve if nothing is done, though.

The insurance companies

I am baffled about why in the midst of countless situations like those faced by the waitress and the retired G.M. employee, such anger over health-care reform exists. I know some of it stems from the talking points provided by health insurance companies.

The insurance companies desperately do not want a public option to be provided by the government.

The insurance companies desperately do not want a public option to be provided by the government. The health insurance companies’ skim somewhere between 12-30% off the top for profit. Government plans operate at about a 5% administrative expense. If your primary aim is to make money rather than provide health care, you can’t afford that kind of competition.

In some places around the country, a single insurance company controls most of the market. That’s the logic of capitalism: If you can run your competitors out of business, you can charge top dollar and maximize your profits. No wonder insurance companies oppose competition.

Ambushes at town hall meetings, negative advertising campaigns, and right-wing radio and TV talk shows have been part of a campaign against health-care reform. A larger phenomena is at work here, though: Vietnam, Watergate, Iraq, decades of covert operations and government-sponsored assassinations and coups d’ etats, and secrecy and lies, and oppression and imperialism have left our people confused and angry and jaded and distrustful where Uncle Sam is involved.

Brittany, Paris and Lindsay

We bury our collective heads and pay more attention to Brittany, Paris and Lindsay, and now Paula and Michael, than to what really affects our lives. When it’s time to focus we are unequipped to do so.

We hope, pray, work and vote for change, and then lash out against the agents of change because we just don’t believe things can get better. Let me add that I, too, am distrustful of the quality of health-care reform that may emerge through this process. It seems to me that placating the interests of the rich and powerful has been accorded far too much importance.

I, too, am distrustful of the quality of health-care reform that may emerge through this process.

Still, I believe we have achieved much already. The faith community had to be dragged into participating in the civil rights, women’s and environmental justice movements. It was reluctant to take part in the movements to end the Vietnam War, the nuclear arms race and apartheid. And the record on according dignity to all people does not have the faith community out front.

Nonetheless, we are now pillars of these movements. I cannot begin to describe to you the anger the faith community’s achievements have provoked among those who have benefited from white supremacy, male superiority and American exceptionalism.

I don’t suggest that any particular health-care system is ordained by God. I do believe it is the responsibility of God’s people to see to it that everyone receives health care. That requires both direct service and advocacy in the halls of power. I’m hopeful because this ministry is underway and has been for centuries.

Recently, I received an e-mail from the pastor of a new church start. He wrote:

Our center of gravity is among the poor. We organize around local justice issues, often with something we call “prayer actions,” which break through the separation between the personal and the social, and works of mercy and works of justice. Our mercy feeds over 300 unduplicated families a month in our urban area with the largest [we think] food pantry in the state, and now provides a free medical clinic one night a week.

Hallelujah! Let us all be about praising God, serving the poor, and working for justice. Health-care reform fits perfectly into that activity.