Made to be healthy in body and soul

To mark Ministry of Healing Sunday (17 October) Major Dean Pallant reflects on the first nine chapters of the Bible

THIS is a Bible study, so please open your Bible! I suggest you read the first nine chapters of Genesis before going any further. While I appreciate that Bible studies and sermons usually focus on a few verses, let’s take time this week to study a bigger portion of Scripture.

Genesis chapters 1 to 9 provide an introduction to the big themes of the Bible. The purpose of Scripture is made clear in these opening chapters – God made us, loves us and calls us into a close, conversational relationship. Listening, learning and leaning on God are the ways people of every generation can live healthy lives.

In the first few pages of Scripture God reveals three key messages: first, God created a perfect world. Second, people sinned and messed it up. Third, God keeps trying to fix the mess. These three key themes remain central throughout Scripture. God’s work of healing the world – a work we can join – is captured in just three words: creation, fall, redemption.

CREATION
The first two chapters of the Bible paint a picture of the beautiful world created by God. They also include two accounts of the Creation.

It is a pity we often get trapped in arguments about creation and evolution when reading these verses. Put those debates aside for now and enjoy the beauty and loving character of God and his creation that shines through these verses. God intended for us to enjoy a beautiful, integrated and wholesome world.

Our Trinitarian God – Father, Son and Spirit – said: ‘Now we will make humans, and they will be like us’ (1:26 Contemporary English Version). God intended for us to enjoy deep relationships with each other, with God and with our body and soul. We were created for integrated relationships. We were not made to be autonomous individuals living self-sufficient lives. Our God is a relational God, and we were created to be relational people.

To consider
• God – the Father, Son and Spirit – made us in his image. He is a relational God. What does that mean for our relationships?

FALL
The beauty of creation is shattered in chapters 3 and 4. Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden and their first-born son Cain murders their second son Abel. It is interesting to note that God confronts Adam, Eve and Cain about their sinful actions. They all try to divert God’s attention – Adam blames Eve (3:12); Eve blames the serpent (3:13); Cain asks God: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ (4:9 New International Version).

The answer, Cain, is yes! We are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers. We need to admit and accept our failings, and not try to shift the blame. We cannot enjoy full health when we are selfish and self-serving. Being healthy means taking care of our relationships with God and other people. The impact of the Fall on God’s creation is essentially a breakdown of relationships between people and God, people and each other and people and the wider creation (see Genesis 6:6).

To consider
• What puts pressure on relationships?
• How do you react when they go wrong?

REDEMPTION
Genesis chapters 6 to 9 record the first instance of God’s work to redeem his fallen creation. Stories similar to these are recorded in other Near Eastern ancient texts. However, the writers and editors who gave us these sacred chapters were theologians – not scientists or historians. They leave us in no doubt of their strong belief that the God of Creation, the God of Israel, is the redeemer of the world.

These chapters are not scientific explanations of how the world was created or flooded. They are much more important than that. These are confessions of faith in God, who is both Creator and Redeemer.

Ministry of Healing Sunday is an important opportunity to remember the complete health that God intends for all people.

Catherine Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, captured this message in a sermon she preached in Exeter in 1881: ‘It is not a scheme of salvation merely – it is a scheme of restoration. He proposes to restore me – brain, heart, soul, spirit, body, every fibre of my nature to restore me perfectly, to conform me wholly to the image of his Son.’

That is redemption! That is health! We need to be healthy in all aspects of our lives – body and soul. Modern medicine focuses on fixing our bodies. Being healthy is much more than body-health. On the other hand, some Christians focus only on soul-health and ignore our responsibilities to care for our bodies.

On Ministry of Healing Sunday we thank God for people who work to heal the body and, in particular, Christian health workers who help people discover the way to complete body-soul health.

To consider
• What damages your body-soul health? Discuss this with a friend, and be
accountable to each other as you seek to live a healthier life in Christ.

• Major Pallant is Under Secretary for Programme Resources and International Health Services Co-ordinator, IHQ