C. René Padilla and the birth of Integral Mission

As an organisation that bases its principles on that of Integral Mission we remember Carlos René Padilla, the ‘Father of Integral Mission’ who sadly passed away in April this year.

CARLOS RENÉ PADILLA, 1932-2021

René Padilla was born in Quito, Ecuador before moving to Columbia with his parents at the age of 6 years. His father was a tailor by trade, and a Church-planter by faith; a difficult calling in a Catholic dominated society. Schooling was difficult due to his evangelical background resulting in several expulsions and exclusions. He went to University in the United States of America (USA) studying at Wheaton College (1953) and Manchester University (1963-1965), returning to Wheaton College in 1992.

As an economic migrant and as a member of a religious minority community, Padilla was shaped by a context of violence, oppression, and exclusion. The relationship between suffering and theology was an organic one for Padilla. As a young person, he recalled “longing to understand the meaning of the Christian faith in relation to issues of justice and peace in a society deeply marked by oppression, exploitation, and abuse of power.” The question for Padilla was not whether the gospel spoke to a challenging Latin American context, but how.

NEW THEOLOGY

In 1959 Padilla was Secretary to the Latin American International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. This meant travelling between institutions, providing him with an “ear to the ground”. In the 1960’s, South America was gripped by politics and political unrest. Students were powerful and could cause turmoil, and often did with strikes. Evangelism was dominated by the large movements of the richer nations, with a model of separating out evangelism from social action.  Renée Padilla and his colleagues could not reconcile this style of working as he surveyed the young people and their political struggles. Working with Samuel Escobar and Pedro Arana, they began to generate a theology that would respond holistically from the Gospels to the pressing realities evident around them: social justice with an evangelical theology.

LAUSANNE MOVEMENT

In 1974, over 2,400 evangelical leaders met in Lausanne, Switzerland. This conference, known as the International Congress on World Evangelization (ICOWE) or the Lausanne Congress, brought participants together from across the world to share ideas on global mission for the first time. It was at this meeting that Padilla presented his theology on combining social justice and evangelism.

During his presentation, Padilla castigated american evangelists for exporting the American way of life, bringing solutions to local problems, devoid of any social responsibility. Mainstream protestant evangelism considered social action as implicit and not inherent with evangelism. Padilla argued that social action and evangelism were essential and indivisible components (opposite sides of a coin) or in Padilla’s words, “two wings of a plane”. And that belief in Jesus not only brought salvation but a demand to look after the immigrant, poor, needy, vulnerable, and widowed; a new societal way of thinking that remains valid today. The Christian faith was a way of life, not an added extra.

From this meeting the Lausanne Covenant was drafted, a document detailing the goals of evangelism, including Integral Mission. This eventually led to the Lausanne Movement, a way to connect ‘influencers and ideas for global mission’.

RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP

Seizing the momentum generated by Escobar’s and his plenary papers, Padilla, alongside John Howard Yoder, rallied an ad hoc group of 500 attendees they called the “Radical Discipleship” This gathering sought to further sharpen the social elements in the drafted Lausanne Covenant. After the congress, Padilla recalled their radical discipleship document as “the strongest statement on the basis for holistic mission ever formulated by an evangelical conference up to that date.” He also declared the death of the dichotomy between social action and evangelism in Christian mission.

The proclamation of the gospel (kerygma) and the demonstration of the gospel that gives itself in service (diakonía) form an indivisible (indisoluble) whole. One without the other is an incomplete, mutilated (mutilado) gospel and, consequently, contrary to the will of God. From this perspective, it is foolish to ask about the relative importance of evangelism and social responsibility. This would be equivalent to asking about the relative importance of the right wing and the left wing of a plane.

It may have been ‘radical discipleship’, but Padilla did not invent integral mission. Integral mission is the core teaching of God’s word. Throughout the old and new testaments, God calls his people to be aware of the undervalued (poor, refugee, foreigner) and vulnerable (old, widowed, sick). He frequently laments that his people are not doing this and constantly exhorts and reminds us of our duty and responsibilities.

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

- Isaiah 1:16-17

HOW CAN WE DO INTEGRAL MISSION IN HEALTHCARE?

The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world, employing 1,093,638 (wte) with many ancillary staff work alongside but employed by partner organisations. The NHS budget in 2018/19 was £130.3 billion, 9.8% of gross domestic budget.

The NHS has employed chaplaincy staff (formal and informal) to look after the spiritual needs of patients and staff for many years, but overt expressions of faith by Christian staff are discouraged and often obstructed. The law in the UK and many other countries reinforce this.

The Christian church, for too long has colluded with society, encouraging ordinary folk to keep their faith private, to take it off like a coat when they arrive at work/ to leave it at home 9-5. Yet the Gospels tell a different story. Christians are encouraged to share their faith (Matthew 28:16-20), not to hide their light under a basket (Luke 11:33-36)) and to be the salt in society (Matthew 5":13). The Manila Manifesto (an elaboration of the Lausanne Covenant in 1984) states that the “Gospel must become visible in the transformed lives of men and women”.

We are never promised an easy life, rather one of hard toil and persecution. The Christian life requires total dedication not one day in seven.  The work place is the largest mission in field in the world. How often have we seen Churches commission pastors, overseas workers, schools workers, Sunday school teams but not those toiling in the secular world. We are called to witness to our friends, colleagues and families; to plant that small seed (Luke 13 v18-21).

How can we be a witness in the work place?  Simply by demonstrating the love of God to our patients and colleagues (doctors, nurses, secretaries, porters). Be a beacon for God, a mirror to reflect His love and glory (Isaiah 43 v10), be His ambassador to a troubled world. Intercede for your work place; pray for your colleagues and patients. Be prepared to be “open and vulnerable” to share your story. This may come at a cost, it may be uncomfortable and difficult initially, but rewards will follow, people will come to know God. We can pray for our colleagues, we can talk to our colleagues, have a coffee/meal and listen and share. Deliver a loving service to our patients, respecting their intrinsic value, made in the image of God, to demand Justice and peace for them. Take any opportunity that is offered, the Bible on the table by the bedside, a throw away statement or a direct question.

Tomorrow may be too late, “Carpe Diem!” take the opportunities offered today.

David is a consultant physician for older age adults at a South East London hospital and is a current participant on the Health & Justice track.

May - Health & Justice for Women and Children

This month’s topic was broad, with many avenues to explore. When I think of health and justice for women and children I think of adoption and fostering, but others might think about the vulnerability of this group towards abuse and trauma, indeed these two paths may be linked if an abusive relationship leads to a mother having a child taken into care. It was very interesting hearing other participants’ thoughts on this important topic.

The neuroscience of trauma

At our monthly webinar our speaker Dr Laura Wood presented a fascinating talk on the neuroscience of trauma. Focusing on children who have been trafficked or are refugees, we learnt that under traumatic circumstance’s a child’s brain is ‘rewired’ and they may become hyper- or hypo-aroused. The proceeding behaviour can often be wrongly diagnosed delaying the trauma therapy they need to begin the journey of recovery. As healthcare professionals, being able to identify trauma victims early can improve outcomes for these children as they become adults.

As Christians we are called to look after the widow and the fatherless:-

This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place

- Jeremiah 22:3

Women and children can be easily exploited as they are generally physically weaker than men and, in many cultures and religions, they are seen as a ‘lesser’ population. We must learn to understand the unique vulnerabilities of this group to be able to bring them justice.

Film Club

Because of my personal experience of having adoption and fostering within my close circle of family and friends, I chose the film ‘Philomena’ to explore our topic this month. Philomena follows the true story of an Irish women who along with a British journalist, goes on a journey to find out what happened to the son that she was forced to put up for adoption as a teenager. This emotional biopic demonstrates the many ripples that are made in a family when there is adoption.

We discussed the role of forgiveness in the path to recovery from trauma and other events of injustice we or others might have experienced. The famous saying* goes that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to come to harm. When we forgive those that do us wrong, we do not necessarily condone their actions or behaviour, but we let go of the power of it on our lives. During the film Philomena has the opportunity to confront the nun that took her child from her for adoption and instead of getting angry she chooses to forgive**:

Philomena:
Sister Hildegarde, I want you to know that I forgive you.

Martin Sixsmith:
What? Just like that?

Philomena:
Its not 'just like that'... it's hard. That's hard for me. But I don't want to hate people. I don't want to be like you... Look at you.

Martin Sixsmith:
I'm angry.

Philomena:
Must be exhausting...

Whether we are a victim of injustice, a witness or just someone hearing the news of some atrocity elsewhere in the world, we have an opportunity to welcome compassion and kindness into a situation and forgive when the journey brings us there.

*This quote cannot be credited to one person but is reported to match key elements from the 1980 book The Angry Christian by Bert Ghezzi

**"Philomena Quotes." Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 23 Jun 2021.<https://www.quotes.net/mquote/1051766>.

April - Health, Justice and Me

reflection

I was inspired and encouraged by my fellow track participants at this month’s webinar as we stopped to take note of our spiritual and professional responses to the track thus far. One by one at our webinar we presented a personal reflection on the last seven months. We had to focus on our chosen vulnerable patient group and how we might advise fellow Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) members interested in working in the health and justice arena. It was wonderful to hear how people have grown their knowledge and developed their hearts for justice, and how they intend to use this going forward, both inside and outside of work.

I personally reflected on how I have gone from feeling rather disenchanted about working in healthcare, with physical and emotional fatigue from endless shifts during the pandemic, to stepping back and hearing the call from God to put in an application for psychiatry training. As I now look to begin a career in mental health this summer I have a renewed sense of community and support from the group of people I have journeyed with on this track and all they do to spread light and love as they do justice.

FILM CLUB

This month I chose a movie close to my heart: ‘I Daniel Blake’. Daniel is a middle-aged widower, who is signed-off work after a heart attack. However due to the bureaucracy of the benefits system, he does not qualify for disability living allowance and must actively seek work against his doctor’s advice. He befriends single mum Katie and together we see them face the challenges of deprivation in modern-day Britain. This moving story highlights the fight for justice so close to home, and how far we still have to go in ending poverty.

This sobering story challenged us to consider how we have had to advocate on behalf of patients and relatives involved in the welfare system. As healthcare professionals we are in a unique position to use our authority and expertise to fight for those that the system forgets. And it is an honour and privilege to have the trust of our patients when they are at their most vulnerable.

March - Health and Justice for the Addicted

Competent compassion

Our topic of this month was addiction, with our focus on the ethical dilemmas we might face in treating addiction as healthcare professionals, namely the use of harm reduction techniques. Harm reduction is the term for trying to minimise the negative consequences of addiction through systems such as needle exchanges and methadone. In our monthly webinar we had the opportunity to discuss in small groups our own opinions on this subject, with many feeling that we had a duty to meet the patient where they are and not withhold helpful harm reduction techniques. Although there is a potential for encouraging the addictive behaviour, we felt it would be morally right to prevent illness caused by the sharing of needles and other dangerous practices. We then welcomed speaker Dr Joss Bray, founder of Competent Compassion who helped us explore this topic further. He shared his experience of working with those with addictions in secure settings and his competent compassionate approach to doing so. 

Film Club 

We gathered online once again for another film club, centred this time on A Street Cat Named Bob. This tells the true story of James, a homeless busker struggling with a heroin addiction as he is befriended by a ginger tomcat named Bob. They quickly become an inseparable duo as Bob helps James on his journey of recovery. We discussed the themes of hope and second chances, and also how James’ relationship with Bob challenged the stereotypes of the homeless and addicts. Before Bob, many would pass James’ by without a look or even hurry away with guilt at his situation on the streets, but when Bob was with James people saw him differently and actively engaged with him. Society leads us to believe that many homeless people have drug and alcohol problems, and if given money will only spend it on these addictions. The truth is not all who are homeless have these issues, and the ones that do often come to using substances as a way of coping with the trauma of sleeping rough. Through James’ story we can see that given the benefit of the doubt and a second chance, he could find his way in the world again.  

February - Health and Justice for Migrants and Modern Day Slaves

The shocking statistics presented to us this month about the extent of slavery in our modern world has made me stop and think. There are thought to be 40.3 million slaves worldwide, many working in forced labour in the supply chains of brands we all know and love. However, despite the seemingly dire situation this may be, our guest speaker Phillipa, from the charity ‘Hope for Justice’, presented us with practical steps we can take to be part of the solution. This included prayer, educating ourselves and our colleagues so we can identify and refer patients who may be victims of human trafficking, understanding the national referral mechanism, understanding refugee rights and what support they are entitled to, and taking action and advocating through signing petitions and social media awareness. Our core reading encouraged us to not let ourselves become disheartened in the face of such injustice, but instead to use the tools God has equipped us with to take on this challenge. Just as Moses was called to lead his people out of slavery, we too can place our hope in the God of rescue and believe things can change when we work alongside Him. 

Film club 

Grow Your Own was the film of choice this month. Based on the true story of a community project in the UK that provides asylum seekers with plots on an allotment site, it follows the journey of trauma recovery, changing prejudices and highlights the harsh reality of immigration law.  We discussed the necessity of such projects for those seeking asylum and how we can support their journey as they try and integrate into our communities.

Power play

This month led me to consider how the imbalance and abuse of power leads to injustice, this is illustrated by the story of Kung Sang in our film Grow Your Own. We learn how he had to flee his country with his family because he stood up to those in power who came to take away his livelihood and to develop property on his land. And then as a non-UK resident he fell even further in the hierarchy of society and became even more vulnerable to the control of the power of others.

Injustice breeds injustice. The cycle begins and ends with power play; those with it often abuse it at the expense of others, further increasing their power as they take it from others. However, we know that ‘power belongs to you, God’ (Psalm 62:11) and the ‘power’ humans believe they have, is not true power at all. Their wealth may give them a false sense of power but it is ultimately God that gives and takes away. Therefore, we can put our trust in God, and by following his way of righteousness and justice, we can break the cycle. And we can look to a day when we see the balance of power restored.  

January - Health and Justice in the Public Square

THE PUBLIC SQUARE

This month has challenged all track participants to consider how public speaking may feature in our professional lives. We had our second weekend conference, where we were fortunate to hear from several speakers about their roles in, and journeys to, the public square. Prior to the conference we had been tasked with writing debate motions based on vulnerable patient groups, from which we voted for our favourite four. On the Saturday we had an opportunity to present and debate these motions in small groups, giving us the atmosphere of a medical organisation committee meeting.  

We were also encouraged to reflect on the lives of those who had been called by God to speak publicly in the Bible and whether God had also placed this call on our lives. I have always been a self-conscious and nervous public speaker, avoiding it at all costs! However, this weekend has allowed me to refine some of those skills and consider what part I might play in advocating for the vulnerable, whether it be on the podium, or supporting those who do from behind the scenes. Whichever way we do it, it is important to be aware of the moral issues faced by Christian medics and consider how we might formulate appropriate responses. The feedback from the weekend was overwhelmingly positive, with many new skills learnt. 

FILM CLUB

This month we watched the moving biopic about the life of evangelical abolitionist William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace. This movie is an inspiring reminder of how we can fulfil the good works God has set before us and participate in the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ through seeking justice in the public square. William Wilberforce suffered with ill health and stress over the many years it took to see the abolition of slavery, but through his faith, and his relationships with friends and his wife, he was able to endure and take strength in completing the work God has set out for him. In our discussion, we reflected on the importance of having a strong support network of those with matching principles and values to encourage us in our journey with God, especially when facing giants of injustice.  

A fellow track participant, Dr Ellie Webb, joined the discussion from the point of view of having read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a nineteenth century novel highly influential in ending the US slave trade. As a group we drew the conclusion that while some like Wilberforce may bring change through speeches and public engagement, others may have different gifts, such as writing, that can be just as important and influential in bringing about transformation.  In the end, however we approach the fight for justice we must remember that failure of one battle does not eliminate the possibility of winning the war.  

December - Health and Justice on the Streets

Merry Christmas! Despite the current challenges around the world, I pray you may you be filled with the hope and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ this festive season.

HOMELESSNESS

Our focus this month was looking at our role in addressing homelessness both personally and professionally. If you have ever felt like you have not known how to react to someone begging for money on the pavement, then you are not alone, as I have struggled with this over the years. Usually, it is a dilemma of wanting to meet the need there and then of someone so clearly desperate, while not knowing how they will use the money you give or how it will solve the root cause of their situation.

However, in Timothy Keller’s book Generous Justice he explains that the story of the good Samaritan shows us how to respond to seeing someone broken, poor and desperate for help. The Samaritan did not hesitate to risk his own safety or his money to meet the need in front of him. Nor did he see the cultural or religious difference between them. Therefore we should not miss any opportunity to serve the vulnerable, imitating the Great Samaritan of Jesus Christ in acknowledgement of His sacrifice to meet our own poverty, a spiritual debt and brokenness. 

I have been challenged to use advent as a time of giving, relinquishing control of my finances and stepping out of my comfort zone to see what Jesus can do through me. So, if this year you see someone on the street, I would recommend asking God what opportunity He might be giving you to love your neighbour.  

Film Club 

This month we donned Christmas jumpers, and each watched different versions of the festive classic Christmas Carol - be it Disney, Muppets or Patrick Stewart. Charles Dickens’ Victorian novella rings true with us today as we look at how to react when we see poverty, especially in the season of feasting and plenty. We discussed how Dicken’s doesn’t say that those things are necessarily bad in and of themselves, but it is when become indifferent to those with so little that we overlook the true meaning of Christmas, and the true calling on our lives to care for the poor and vulnerable.

If you have any ideas for films that reflect a theme of justice, please leave a suggestion in the comments below. We are looking forward to sharing more films together in the New Year. 

November - Justice Here and Now

This month we were asked to think about on our calling to live differently as Jesus’ disciples in the 21st century and how that might look in the workplace as healthcare professionals. I have been reflecting that, just as Jesus demonstrated how to show compassion and love to the least of society, we also have a responsibility to care and advocate for the vulnerable. When faced with so many injustices in healthcare here and abroad it could be all too easy to despair. However, when we place our hope in Jesus Christ, we anchor ourselves to the truth that God is enough and can change circumstances, conditions and structures. God’s kingdom is not yet fully here, but we are placed in this broken world to participate in bringing life under His rule and reign.

Integral Mission

A new concept was introduced this month, that of integral mission. It seeks to balance the proclamation of spiritual salvation with the demonstration of God’s kingdom through good works. Neither can exist without the other; as our hearts change in response to God’s grace, we will want to share that grace with others by word but also through deed. As an introvert that struggles with sharing my faith with strangers, I can find it all too easy to tell myself that my actions will speak just as loud as my words. But this month I have been reminded I have been called as a follower of Christ to share the good news of salvation in conversation as well as in action.

Film Club

Our second film club focused on the representation of integral mission in the 1992 hit Sister Act. The plot follows lounge singer Deloris, who, as a witness to a murder, is placed under witness protection in a convent, and how she proceeds to liven up the choir and get the nuns working in service to their community. It is a comedy with a tongue-in-cheek approach to faith in action. However, we found interesting discussion in how a convent could have ever become so separated from the community around it, prior to an outsider suggesting cleaning up the neighbourhood. It challenged us to think about how churches are responding to the needs of the community around them and whether we are welcoming enough to those who may not usually choose to attend church.

October - Biblical Justice

October got into full swing with our first weekend webinar at the beginning of the month! Our topic of biblical justice was introduced during the Friday evening Zoom meeting. Then on Saturday morning we met again over Zoom to continue exploring the topic of biblical justice. We had breakout groups to discuss criminal cases in different eras. And then we heard from a Christian barrister who discussed the biblical roots of the British judicial system. I was most taken by how integral justice is to the mission of the Church, as we reflect the nature of a Just God and how He has shown us justice. It was also a wonderful weekend of getting to know one another more and learn from each other.

Film Club

I was inspired, by this month’s optional additional reading of chapters from the book Dead Man Walking, to watch the film adaptation of the book. As a result, I suggested it to my peers as a potential topic for a new film club. My peers were keen and so we arranged a date. After meeting up briefly on Zoom, we then separated to watch the film independently online before regrouping on Zoom to discuss the themes of biblical justice and capital punishment. It was a real success, and so we are already planning another for November.

Compassion Permanence

I have been challenged this month to develop my ‘compassion permanence’. A concept whereby we do not forget about the injustices in this world when we stop reading or hearing about them on the news. It is all too easy forget about the war, famine and disaster that can occur in other countries once the news piece has finished on the television, and even more dangerous that we have become so accustomed to seeing these things on the news that we believe is it part of normality. However it also a challenge to not let these things overwhelm you to the point of inaction. Instead we must develop this ability to see or hear about such injustice and turn to God in considering what action we must take.

I look forward to learning how to equip myself and inspire others to act against injustice in our world as we move into the next month of teaching.

September - Health and Justice Track

In this new world of online teaching and zoom meetings, what does the new CMF track ‘Health and Justice’ look like? As one of twelve healthcare professionals embarked on the course, I have been tasked with providing a monthly insight into just that.

As a mixture of doctors, nurses, and medical students from across the country, we meet regularly on zoom for discussion and reflection of our goals set every month. This course, and these meetings, are guided by doctors whose careers have led them to work with the vulnerable and marginalised. We are challenged and encouraged to think both educationally and vocationally about aspects of health and justice, using books and online resources.

What is Justice?

This month we have delved into the broad question, ‘What is justice?’ We’ve been set the goal of understanding some secular models of justice as well as how we might envisage our career developing nearer towards the interface of health and justice.

I have been struck by how many verses in the Bible talk of social justice and God’s call for the Christian to act on behalf of ‘the poor and the oppressed’. Personally, I have been challenged to think deeper about where I may have witnessed justice or injustice in the past and how my faith has interacted in these circumstances. I have reflected on the events that led to me joining this track and where I might see myself going. I have been inspired by my colleagues on the course and the variety of ways God has set them on a pathway to serve the marginalised. And most importantly I am excited to see how God speaks to us and through us during this academic year.

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Esme is an ‘F3’ Doctor with a keen interest in mental health. She enjoys exploring the countryside and paddleboarding with her dog.