Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Lectionary: 233

More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deed,

Recently, at the VA, I attended an information workshop about "patient-centered care." You might assume every hospital is patient-centered but this plan differs from the "problem-centered care" of traditional medicine.

You go to the doctor who asks, "What's wrong?" You tell him what's wrong and he says, "Let's fix that!" 

But where did that problem come from and why is it there? In my experience of hospital patients in the VA and in the University of Minnesota Hospital (1995-96) most of the problems -- not all -- are caused by poor life-style choices. 

Patient-centered care is at least aware of those "styles" and is willing to address them with the patient. The questions might be asked, "Why do you smoke? Do you want to quit?" and "How can we help?" The problem may be alcohol, overeating, idleness, sleeplessness, or stress. These and many other problems can be addressed; all have a spiritual dimension. 

Rightly did Jeremiah observe, "More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?" 

The gospel today confronts us with the growing gap between the rich and the poor. It is, as Abraham observes, impassible: "Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’"

The rich man, traditionally called "Dives," has a life-style problem. He never noticed the problem and never imagined the crisis until it blew up. Then it was too late. Like many hospitalized patients, he is suffering acute, unbearable pain. His suffering was preventable but he never imagined it might happen. 

Like many patients, he claims he was never even warned; but he was, by Moses and the prophets, whom he ignored. Abraham's remark makes it clear his problem was a religious/spiritual one. The crisis and the judgment were preventable, like a great many cancers, congestive heart ailments, COPD, etc. 

Today's gospel might seem to speak only to the problem of rich and poor, but human life is never that simple. Health issues mingle with financial ones; personal problems become familial; ignorance and illiteracy have political dimensions, as do sexual relations. Our "problems" respect no boundaries. 

The LORD, alone probes the mind and tests the heart to show us how to live well. Certainly too much wealth is bad for the body politic and the individual human body. Wallis Simpson was wrong, one can be too rich and too thin. We should heed the warnings.