Health Care Reform: A Spiritual, Whole
Systems Perspective
by Corinne McLaughlin
The policy debate over health care is one of
the most divisive ones in recent history. It often neglects the moral
dimension and seldom includes the spiritual dimension.
On a deeper metaphysical level, health care
reform is really about the movement of Spirit into matter. It’s about
making matter on earth more receptive and transparent to Spirit. What do
I mean by this? It’s about bringing more light into our bodies by
nurturing them with good food, adequate rest, and beneficial medicines
when needed, so
they can more fully embody Spirit. Good health care honors our body, the
temple of our Spirit. How can we be involved with spiritual pursuits if
we’re sick and can’t afford healthcare? How can we be effective in our
service to others if we don’t care for our bodies and become sick?
At the core of the health care debate is a
moral issue: How can we claim to be ethical and civic minded if we don’t
care that others are suffering from lack of good health care? How can we
claim to be spiritual? Don’t we realize that we’re all interconnected,
and the suffering of one person affects everyone on a subconscious level,
contributing to the overall pain, fear and depression in the world? It’s
so important that we collectively develop a compassionate and wise
response to the issue of health care.
There are honest arguments on both sides of
the debate—one side emphasizing compassion and support for the
disadvantaged who lack health care or were denied insurance coverage, the
other side emphasizing freedom of choice for those who can afford it. But
there is clearly moral fault when anyone deliberately lies about the facts
or incites fear to protect personal interests and satisfy personal or
corporate greed.
46 million people in our country are
uninsured and many more are without adequate coverage. It’s estimated
that 60% of bankruptcies this year will be due to medical bills.
Americans spend more on healthcare than any other country—an average of
16% of our income, and yet we don’t get better outcomes than countries
that spend far less. Why is this?
On a practical level, one person’s untreated
contagious disease affects others. Those lacking insurance often seek
help in emergency rooms, which is the most expensive care, and their
unpaid bills raise hospital costs which are then passed along to everyone.
The only real answers will come from
exploring health care from a deeper, more whole systems perspective and
including more dimensions than we have previously: transcending
right/left adversarial politics to truly serve the highest good of all;
honoring facts and truth to overcome politically generated fears; reducing
inflated insurance costs and unfair policies to create true competition;
balancing social justice with fiscal responsibility and budget
constraints; reducing the role of government where practical; increasing
information about prevention and holistic approaches; and valuing both
compassion for the disadvantaged and freedom of choice for those who can
afford it. Everything is interconnected and part of the whole system.
How many of these dimensions can you take in and synthesize in your
consciousness? What aspect is your congressional representative missing
that you need to remind him or her about?
On a personal level, what we each can do is
to love and care for our bodies and our health as a spiritual discipline.
I’ve found that using “complementary medicine”--preventive and holistic
approaches (as well as traditional medicine) has kept me relatively
healthy and reduced my medical expenses considerably. I eat mostly
organic, chemical-free food with lots of vegetables, exercise regularly
with daily yoga and short runs, and get adequate rest each night. In
addition, vitamins, herbs and supplements help strengthen my immune
system. I also get regular preventive screenings, and plan regular visits
to holistic providers, such as chiropractors and homeopathists. And most
importantly, I have a regular meditation practice and pay attention to my
mental diet, filtering out negative energy and violence from the media and
focusing instead on the positive work of people worldwide creating
solutions to our problems.
What we each can do now, in addition to
taking care of our personal health, is to meditate on the health care
debate, seeing all the players surrounded in light, and the whole debate
filled with calm clarity, so that the final policy will truly serve the
highest good.
Corinne McLaughlin is co-founder of The Center for
Visionary Leadership and co-author of Spiritual Politics: Changing the
World from the Inside Out. (www.visionarylead.org)
THE CENTER FOR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Email: cvldc@visionarylead.org
Website:
www.visionarylead.org