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By Kevin Howell
I’ve been fascinated by the town hall meetings on health care reform. The issue seems to have struck a nerve with people, namely those opposed to the bill in Congress, which would create government-funded, universal coverage. Of course the issue is much politicized, as Democrats say an overhaul of the health care system is our only hope, and Republicans would have you think that we’re quickly becoming Cuba.
The town hall meetings, attended mostly by people opposed to the reform, have been quite hostile. I was watching highlights of a Pennsylvania meeting hosted by Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter and I thought the crowd was about to rush the podium and beat him down. What really has people pissed is the thought that the government is taking over their health care coverage, which they see as meddling in their personal lives. And if there’s one thing that we can’t stand, it’s someone else trying to control our lives.
I think that’s why people have reservations with God. Who I am kidding? That’s why I have reservations with God. The idea of an almighty being who looks out for us is quite acceptable and even desired. But when He wants to be in the driver’s seat of our lives, we’re not willing to ride shotgun.
It’s human nature to want to “have it your way.” We live in a society that preaches independence, is built on individual rights, and is driven by the creed, “If it feels good, then, by all means, do it.” However, smashing into our comfortable cosmos comes God, disrupting our pursuit of happiness in order to offer us so much more. He offers us what we need instead of what we want. His purpose is to make us better, rather than just making us feel better. The condition is that we must trust Him. That proves difficult because our tendency is to fit God into our lifestyle instead of conforming our lifestyle to God.
At the core of this struggle is the Achilles’ heel of modern humanity: resistance to change. Oh, we can change some things quite easily (girlfriends, husbands, wives, jobs, schools, friends, or addresses), but to change ourselves is damn near impossible. Maybe it’s because we’re set in our ways, or maybe it’s because we subconsciously see it as an indictment of ourselves. Whatever the case may be, loosening our grip on our own identity and indulgences is essential to grasping God.
I’m not a big fan of change, myself. It breeds discomfort and inconvenience. Eventually we adapt, and in most cases, the change is for the better. I don’t know if I can say that about health care reform. The government can only be trusted to a certain extent. But when it comes to managing our lives and our future, I know God can be trusted. We just have to be willing to change.
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