Can You Help Me .... Again?

Today as I did my usual aerobic workout, I realized I needed to take care of two items of important business. First, and most importantly, I realized that I needed to take the time to specifically thank many of my former peers especially from ORU who often proved to have a better set of spiritual eyes than the administrators that had charge over them. When I first came to ORU in 1982, many assumed that my physical disability was automatically the direct result of lack of faith or other hidden sin. Through much patience and the support of people like you, I, Chris Davis, Susan Slade, and many others were able to work to gradually change the culture of the ORU community.

Today ORU is a much better place for disabled people to attend college because people like you chose not to judge a book by its cover but to look inside the heart. Despite many in the upper administration who would have preferred people like me to just go away, you chose to invite people like me into your dorm rooms and wings and actually believe that someone like me in a wheelchair could have something meaningful to say. For that, I will always be eternally grateful. You may not realize it, but your refusal to accept unhealthy stereotypes and simply assume that my condition was the result of lack of faith on my part has gone a long way to contributing to the Charismatic Movement as a whole. You proved that it is possible to believe in God's healing power and still accept the tension of the "not yet" Your openness has helped expediate the overall maturity of the Charismatic Movement and ultimately facilitate many of the current changes we are now witnessing at ORU that many thought could never occur. Thank you so much for your openness. I pray that I have been a good steward of the opportunities your openness has given me through the years.

Today, my heart was once again troubled by an even bigger task that lies ahead. My goal here is not to be political and if I knew how to remove the political dimensions from what I will address next, I certainly would do so. All of the healthcare proposals that are currently in front of Congress will at some point require healthcare rationing. I realize that both the president and Congress have said this will not occur. However, all of the models currently being considered will by necessity require rationing. This is because there is simply not enough money or doctors and nurses to facilitate the level of need that will be created for any of these plans. The current administration has made no secret of the fact that they believe that too much money is currently being funneled to the elderly and disabled who in their opinion contributed little to society.

Like the ORU of the 1980s, the United States runs the risk of becoming a country that is actually hostile to the disabled and elderly because of the cost they generate and their perceived lack of contribution to the tax system. This in many ways directly parallels the way in which the upper ORU administration of the early 1980s tried to keep disabled individuals like me hidden and off camera at all costs. But because YOU DID NOT ACCEPT THE STEREOTYPE, the culture at ORU ultimately changed. I know it is still not perfect, but because of you and your openness to people like me, it is a lot better than it once was.

I am in no way naïve about the high cost of healthcare. However, to go after specific groups of people will have a host of unintended consequences, not the least of which will be an institutionalized prejudice against the elderly and disabled being propagated by none other than the US government. I am not suggesting that this is their deliberate intention, I am merely suggesting that the current policies being floated do not take these issues into account.

When God gave the 10 Commandments, one of them was "honor your father and mother that it may go well with you in the land." In the Jewish culture, honoring your father and mother, interestingly enough, was not specifically related to a respect issue of children as it is typically interpreted in our culture. Honoring your father and mother in the Jewish culture specifically meant making sure they were financially provided for in their old age. Sadly, many of the bills now being considered by Congress would do exactly the opposite. Because of the shortage of doctors and nurses that would be created by trying to give everybody healthcare coverage, the government would ultimately be in charge of determining who gets what. Both the president and Congress have expressed chagrin at the fact that so many of our healthcare resources are filtered to the elderly and disabled. They believe many of these resources could be better allocated if they were focused on the young who still have many years to contribute to the work force. In other words, healthcare dollars when be focused on prevention (the one positive aspect of the current proposals), but at the expense of the elderly and those like myself with pre-existing conditions (the negative aspects of the proposals).

On the surface, this may sound quite positive. If you are a young person with no health issues you will love these proposals. There are likely to be incentives for help prevention measures such as free YMCA memberships and the like. However, if you are older or have pre-existing conditions you will ultimately be out of luck. Moreover, these proposals will most certainly be used to promote abortion for those who show any evidence of pre-existing conditions. Additionally, elderly can expect to receive end-of-life counseling encouraging assisted suicide as a way of saving money for the society as a whole. Could you imagine a situation in which your father, your mother, aunt or uncle are encouraged to in their life prematurely in exchange for tax breaks for you? It is true that none of this has been codified into law yet, but do not be fooled, they are on the table. What the current proposals fail to realize is that God has blessed us in the long run when we have treated at risk groups like the elderly and disabled well. In the end, the same science that extends the life of elderly and disabled individuals ultimately saves the life of the young who become unexpectedly afflicted as well.

When I was at ORU, other disabled people sometimes became irritated with me because I never believed that the culture of ORU would change through political pressures such as threatening lawsuits because of prejudice. I am still convinced that the long way around of building relationships with people is the best course of action. By taking the time to build relationships rather than threaten lawsuits, change did not come as quickly as some people desired, but it was in my opinion more deep and more thorough in my opinion than it would have been trying to use the legal or political routes to our benefit. You and your friendship helped me prove that true change could occur without being imposed from the outside.

Today we are faced with the same kind of challenge from our own government that was facing ORU when I came in 1982. As I was praying about the situation, I felt that God had laid it on my heart to ask for your help once again. Like then, I am convinced that the real changes that need to occur will require more than political changes. As American citizens, voting responsibly is definitely important, but it is only part of the answer. Today more than ever this country is in need of a spiritual awakening. A true spiritual awakening will take care of our political dilemmas. When people's hearts are right they will vote right. That brings me to my request from you.

If I have ever been able to bless your life in any way I have one simple request: Would you consider sharing about my ministry with your pastor, church, and friends? Jackie and I are convinced now more than ever that God is calling us to be more intentional about ministry now more than ever. Additionally, would you consider supporting other businesses, organizations and projects that are sponsored by elderly and disabled individuals? I am hopeful that one of the side benefits of this effort will be a refined focus on important issues like healthcare the did not target specific groups like the elderly and disabled. Even though I am hopeful that there will be a long-term impact on our government and its policies, rest assured that my primary goals are in no way political. If you or your pastor invite me to your church, I will stick to biblical truth as I always have. Yes, I have my political opinions, and they are strong. But, at the end of the day, it will be only a revival that will save America.

Jackie and I are making a concerted effort to go where God sends us. If you or your church would be interested in us sharing on a weekend or during the summer months please let us know. We are here to serve you. By helping me, hopefully, you will be helping yourself as well. My contact information is available in the Facebook phonebook.

Committed To You Always,

Michael Postlethwaitm