Discussion Post: Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative
Creation: The book of Genesis Chapter one describes how the world was made including man for them to flourish and live joyously, worshiping, and loving God forever. Everything that God made was intentional and for a purpose and the Bible says, God saw that all He had made was good. God made everything whole, as it was supposed to be and so health holistically is God given and intended.
Fall: When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the garden of Eden which had everything they needed, and they could use except "the tree of life". But after being tricked by the serpent they defied God's rule and sinned by eating the fruits from the forbidden tree and they "fell" from God's grace. Since they represent all humanity, their actions affect all people resulting in physical and spiritual death. Just as illness in the body can be viewed as a break in the homeostasis of the body's physiology, the fall and subsequent separation from God broke the homeostasis of creation itself, bringing disease, sickness, suffering, and death. These are all effects of the fall and not part of God's original design. (Hoehner, 2020).
Redemption: Though God was unhappy with man for rebelling against Him, He was determined to turn evil and suffering into good for His glory. God had a plan of redeeming His world and rescue the fallen sinners through His Son Jesus Christ. According to Hoehner (2020),Jesus came to redeem the whole person as a complete biopsychosocial-spiritual being; therefore, there is a strong relationship between health and salvation in the New Testament. During His mission on earth, Jesus healed the sick and brought back to life those who were dead thus bringing wholeness and salvation to the people.
Restoration: Other than redemption, God has a plan of renewing the world according to His original plan and restoring His relationship with the people who He created in His own image. In the book of Revelation, it talks of "a new heaven and earth" with the holy city of Jerusalem coming down where God will dwell together with the people. (CLARITAS, 2017).
Christian health care workers should use the gifts God has given them in this world to mitigate the effects of the fall and sickness with loving compassion and mercy as they seek to relieve the pain and suffering of their fellow human beings.
Task
What do the four parts of the Christian biblical narrative (i.e., creation, fall, redemption, and restoration) say about the nature of God and of reality in relation to the reality of sickness and disease? From where would one find comfort and hope in the light of illness according to this narrative? Explain in detail each part of the narrative above and analyze the implications.
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.