What are health and healing, and how do they relate to a church? Nursing (and hospitals) as we know it grew out of religious tradition. Early monasteries had hospitals to care for the sick and injured within their walls. Members of religious orders, both Protestant as well as Catholic, were responsible for nursing duties. Servants were employed to provide care that was not fitting for a proper woman to administer.
Florence Nightingale, founder of the nursing profession, believed nurses were called by God to care for others. She believed prayer was an important part of care of the sick. She recognized that one’s relationship with God plays an essential part in a person’s well-being and thus to recovery from illness or acceptance of one’s limitations.
Nurses have followed Nightingale’s lead in focusing on the whole person—physical, psychological, social and spiritual. A problem in one of these areas influences the others. We recognize that not feeling well physically can result in not feeling or functioning well psychologically. For example, the person with a severe headache or toothache is usually more irritable than she would be if she were not experiencing pain.
The same can be said of the relationship of spiritual and physical well-being. Health can be viewed as the absence of disease or infirmity; however, a better definition of health is optimal well-being or functioning considering all parts of the person—body, mind and spirit. It is more than the absence of disease.
A person may be healthy and yet live with an illness or condition that is undesirable. How that person handles the condition and views his status is more important than the specific condition. An example we all can recognize is someone who faces a life-threatening illness yet manages to maintain a positive outlook. Health is that positive, yet realistic view of one’s status and the acceptance of one’s condition.
Parish nursing is the nursing specialty that gives emphasis to this connection of body, mind and spirit within a person. Efforts are directed to helping individuals achieve and maintain wholeness. Recognition that the inner core of the person is the spirit is key. Healing comes in many different forms.
For some, healing is recovery from an illness or injury; for others, healing is making peace with one’s self, God or others, or finding acceptance of the trials of life. As Christians, we recognize that health, healing and wholeness are of concern to both the church and health care professionals.
As Wilshire’s parish nurse, Linda Garner is available to assist members of the congregation with health concerns and counseling. She keeps office hours on Wednesdays and may be reached by e-mail at lgarner@wilshirebc.org. 
(214) 452-3100