Wellness is a buzzword, and it’s a buzzword I kind of appreciate. I like expanding our notion of health beyond medication. It’s important to be proactive about caring for ourselves and others rather than simply reacting to anxiety and pain and stress. And yet neither the medical establishment nor the wellness industry can give us everything we need to be made well.
There are many good things about doctors, therapists, and self-care methods. Still, a spiritual understanding of health and wellness offers even more as we are invited to redefine health and experience and participate in a broader work of healing. I had a chance to write for Christianity Today about this topic—From Holistic Health to Holistic Gospel:
“…We live in a world that measures health by a lack of illness, injury, and disability. The multitrillion-dollar global wellness movement tries to expand our understanding of health through proactive efforts to promote human flourishing. Yet neither health nor wellness as we define them in contemporary society makes room for people with disabilities.
“Moreover, despite the trillions spent on wellness and health care, we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, pain, depression, and other mental health concerns, not to mention the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and an epidemic of chronic pain.
“We need more than medical interventions and wellness retreats in order to heal. A biblical understanding of health offers us a holistic experience of peace and connection within our bodies, minds, spirits, and communities. It shows us a different way to receive healing and bring healing to our hurting world.”
You can read the full essay here | From Holistic Health to Holistic Gospel…
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