I spend my workdays as a family doctor. I received my M.D. degree in 1993 (30 years ago this past June) so at 55 years of age, I have been “practicing” medicine for over half of my life. I have been practicing being a Christian for all of my life, since I was baptized in the Lutheran church as a baby in 1968. I’m still very much a work-in-progress on both fronts.
Faith and work come together and support each other in interesting ways for me. My journey as a Christian has certainly made me a better doctor because the work of doctoring is fundamentally a service. I usually start an office visit by asking some form of the question: “What can I do for you today?” Serving one another is what the church calls us to do and (on my best days) that call infuses my work, especially when the particular person in front of me is challenging in some way. It may be surprising to non-doctor-types, but patients can be challenging for doctors in lots of different ways that have nothing to do with sickness! (Treating illness is the easy part most of the time). Knowing God is there to help, and remembering that I am called to be God’s hands in the world (as best as I am able) has carried me through on many occasions. Jesus’ consistent examples of service to others, his patience with human failings, compassion for human illness and meeting people exactly where they are (and not where he wants us be) are lessons that cross over nicely into doctoring. It’s not always easy to be a kind and compassionate healer when a sickness is largely self-inflicted and the sick person is not especially grateful for the help. But how many examples are there in the Gospels where we see Jesus loving people in spite of themselves? I know that every person in front of me is loved by God and in fact has God’s own immortal spark inside of them. This helps a lot. On my best days.
I have been challenged a few times over the years to defend how I can believe in science and the scientific method, yet still go to church on Sunday and worship an unseen God. I have heard scientist-types (including fellow doctors) pity the naiveté of someone like me, foolish enough to believe in any human origin story that was not completely and exclusively Darwinian. But for me, studying science in general and the human animal in particular for so long, I have come to see and believe God’s hand in all of it and in all of us. It’s a much bigger story than just science, all of which (including Darwin) is small enough to fit nicely inside of God’s plan. The fact that God, on the other hand, is too big to fit inside of science should tell us something important. I don’t accept that we are here merely by chance. I see too much evidence in human behavior and the motivations of the human heart which evolution cannot explain.
Being a physician for 30 years has helped me become a more faithful disciple, and trying to follow Jesus makes me a better doctor. Being a family doctor is an immense privilege and at the same time an immense responsibility. There’s definitely a parallel here, right, with Jesus’ call to us. Being someone’s doctor forces me to confront fear and self-doubt, while practicing compassion and acceptance every single day. I’m grateful for the gift of this work.
