On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. -Mathew 9:12
We’ve all heard the skepticism across the country, from anti-vaxxers closing down vaccine sites to people posting on social media asking that people not take the vaccine. Most of the mistrust from people in the Black American community comes from America’s history of medical testing and experiments which were often done illegally to Black Americans. While the fear and history of mistreatment by Black Americans cannot be ignored, the vaccine is especially important to the Black population which has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. To drive home the importance of the vaccine, Black Americans are 2.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19.
It is no secret that minorities, especially Black Americans have dealt with health, economic and social inequalities rooted in systematic racism. We also tend to have careers that put us at an increased risk of getting COVID-19, from healthcare, restaurant, transportation, and teaching positions.
If God did not want us to take medicine he would tell us so in the Bible. Instead, the Bible is very clear about the role of medicine, referencing various times to heal the sick. In the New Testament Jesus said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick” (Luke 5:31). In fact, in Luke 4:23 Jesus quotes the proverb, “Physician, heal yourself,” referring to himself.
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” -Isaiah 38 12
God gives us free will, but he also gives us the tools we need to be healed. It is God’s wisdom that guides the work of physicians. If you are questioning whether or not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, look no further than the Bible to guide you. Pray for healing and seek it when God provides it. Even as we continue to hold America accountable for the atrocities witnessed by its medical experiments on Black Americans know that this vaccine is critical to the healing and livelihood of our community.
Have you gotten the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, share your experience below.
