A Bible, a smile, and a prayer of hope…

A Bible, a smile, and a prayer of hope guide the chaplains of Maua Methodist Hospital. Rev. Solomon and Rev. Joyce are amazing in their love and care for those they serve. Their daily challenge is complex. How do you share the love of God with the suffering? And how do you share the love of God with the staff ministering to these needs? How do you faithfully serve the administration, doctors, nurses, staff, and patients all concurrently? 

 

I was blessed to walk with Rev. Solomon through his day on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.  Although we worked until the late afternoon, what I share below all occurred before 10 a.m.  The experience we shared blessed me abundantly with reminders from a Bible, a smile, and a prayer of hope. The morning began early. As we arrived at the chapel around 7:15 a.m., I noticed Rev. Solomon and Rev. Joyce rearranging and wiping down the pews. They do not simply proclaim; they serve. Like so many pastors I know in so many settings throughout the world, they do anything necessary to make a difference and be a blessing to others for Jesus.

 

Following worship, I had just a moment to grab my bag and walk with Rev. Solomon to his office. “We have just a few minutes and then we’ll meet with the palliative care team.” He informed me. He meets with every team from cooks to pharmacy to pediatrics to administration. He keeps an aggressive timetable through the week. Joining with the team this morning in a common conference space, the time together began with singing initiated by the staff. The music filled my soul. No instruments, just clapping and singing that soared. As they sang, I realized that the people singing are the ones on the frontline of care for people who are dying. In America, we call palliative care hospice.

 

Shortly following the singing, I was introduced. As a visitor, it is common in Kenya to share a brief word when introduced. So, I called them friends and explained that I called them friend because we had a friend in common, Jesus. A few responded, “Amen.” I shared with them that my wife Laura is an ER Nurse. I have witnessed the challenges that those on the front-line experience. I continued, “Friends, I want you to know that our common friend, Jesus, sees you. Jesus knows the ways you bless each person you serve as you care for them. Thank you for the way your faith empowers you to love others that the world does not seem to see. Thank you for seeing for our friend. Our friend sees you and thanks you for your love and efforts. Know that as you care for those you serve, you are not alone. Amen.” The group responded with Amens.

 

What I could not have known was that the devotional that Rev. Solomon shared with the group was on friendship. The text he shared was Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 from the Good News Version, “Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them because their oppressors had power on their side.  I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive. But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world. I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind. They say that we would be fools to fold our hands and let ourselves starve to death. Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind. I have noticed something else in life that is useless. Here is someone who lives alone. He has no son, no brother, yet he is always working, never satisfied with the wealth he has. For whom is he working so hard and denying himself any pleasure? This is useless, too—and a miserable way to live. Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself? Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.”

 

Rev. Solomon read from the devotional about friendship and asked the question, “How do you rate yourself as a friend on a scale between one and ten?” The large group seemed hesitant to respond, but eventually one did respond. And then, more spoke up. It was not my place to speak, but in my soul, I was judged. Have I been so fixated on tasks that I miss the blessings of community and friendship right in front of me? Have you? Don’t we all? 

 

Then, the conversation continued as Rev. Solomon asked the team members to share a time that a friend had been there for them. He shared about being saved from drowning. Another member of the team shared about a friend arranging meals and care for them when they were sick. Everyone had a story even though not all were shared. The questions continued. What is the writer of this passage commenting about the world? Every human system has injustice. People labor incessantly to obtain what they do not have, but why? When does one ever have enough? But some see their time and life as blessings to be shared. When we include and love others and see those the world does not, everything changes.

 

And then, it was time for the staff to go back to work. No time for handshakes and visiting, we had to get to the wards and make rounds. We left the room first. No pictures, nor words can describe the challenging situations I witnessed in the wards. I have been to hundreds of hospital bedsides in my ministry, but this was a different experience. The medical challenges compounded by the results of abject poverty were magnified. And yet, Rev. Solomon’s tools were the same as what I have taken to the bedside: a Bible, a smile, and a prayer of hope. In each ward, the process was the same. Rev. Solomon would enter the ward and evaluate who could speak or respond. He would hear the concerns of each. And then, he would read from the Bible and pray over the ward. 

 

The first man we visited with was very ill but wanted to sit up. He is a teacher. He was born in 1972 as was I. We listened to his story. He wanted to get better to teach again, so has sought help. Rev. Solomon smiled and thanked him for sharing his story. Rev. Solomon lovingly admonished the men of the ward to take their medicines and follow the directions of the doctors. He reminded them to not lose hope. And then he read scripture and prayed the text over them. We prayed for healing in the name of Jesus. We prayed for God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. And we prayed for hope. Those who could, thanked us. Those who could not, we blessed. 

 

Prayer and the hope found in the promises of God are what we have to offer suffering souls in a hurting and broken world. Being with them and seeing them affirms our common humanity and extends each dignity. Seeing them is a greater gift than we often realize. As we approached the female ward, Rev. Joyce had already prayed the rounds. But Rev. Solomon took me through to show me the newly renovated ward. There were women who had been there many months, and he asked them about how they were doing. The stories of poverty can be hard to bear. How do you provide hope in a land with deep poverty? The text from Ecclesiastes he had shared with the staff rang out: “Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them because their oppressors had power on their side.  I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive. But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.” 

 

My heart melted under the weight. And yet, what do we have. A Bible, a smile, and prayers of hope. Indeed, these are more than enough. Rev. Solomon asked me to hold each person we saw during our rounds in my prayers in the weeks ahead. I let him know that I don’t think I’ll ever pray again without the people I saw this day in my heart. And I encourage you to join me in praying for Rev. Solomon, Rev. Joyce, the amazing staff of the hospital, and those suffering. Even if you cannot walk with Rev. Joyce and Rev. Solomon through the wards and staff meetings, your prayers and actions can see those they serve. 

 

What can you do? You can pray, give, and see. Stop right now and pray out loud for Maua Methodist Hospital and its many ministries. Find ways to join Laura and me in generously supporting Maua Methodist Hospital with a financial gift. All gifts made to MDUMC and noted for Maua Hospital will go directly to support this life-giving mission. And if you are ever able, make a time to travel with the team and experience the beautiful blessing that has been made possible through the covenant relationship MDUMC has with this amazing ministry. The Maua Methodist Hospital brings blessings to those in incredibly difficult times. Your faithful prayers and generosity make this mission possible.