email of 1/23/2010 from General Board of Church and Society, The United Methodist Church

Call your Members of Congress on Monday Jan. 25
Tell them ‘Don’t give up on health-care reform!

Dear Friend,

“For such a time as this …”

United Methodists have been on the leading edge of support for comprehensive health-care reform in the United States for decades. Our Social Principles declare: “Health care is a basic human right.” At this critical juncture we need to urge the U.S. Congress to complete the task at hand on behalf of the millions left out and left behind in our current system.

The past few days have been tumultuous in Washington, D.C., presenting new challenges to ensuring more people have access to needed health care. As people of faith, our hope is to rise above partisan politics. Reform is about solving one of our nation’s biggest problems: Too many people are without health care.

Please contact your U.S. representatives and senators on Monday, Jan. 25, (or if you cannot get through, call anytime next week) to remind them that the vision of health care for all is still alive.

CALL TOLL FREE: 1-888-797-8717

Following is a sample phone conversation:

"As a person of faith and a United Methodist, I care very much about ensuring that everyone has health care. This is your moment for political courage, vision, leadership and faith. We are praying for you as you deliberate and appeal to you to move meaningful health-care reform forward. At this critical juncture we urge you to complete the task at hand on behalf of the millions left out and left behind in our current health-care system."


No comprehensive health-care reform bill will be perfect. Indeed, if any piece of legislation ever fulfills our full vision, our vision is far too small. We know, as providers and consumers of services and care, inaction at this critical moment is no way forward:

Without reform, tens of thousands will continue to needlessly die each year for lack of access to care.

Without reform, over 47 million of God’s children remain uninsured and without adequate access to a full range of services.

Without reform, health costs will continue to grow much faster than wages.

Without reform, many millions of hard-working people and their children will join the ranks of the uninsured and underinsured.

Without reform, businesses, staggered by increasing employee health costs, will either drop coverage or will be unable to make needed investments.

Without reform, the nation's economy and its ability to create jobs will suffer.

You can make a difference!

Communities of faith across the country are participating in the Interfaith Vigil of Prayer, Action & Hope. Many are lifting up prayers for health-care reform in their worship services this weekend. Next week a key component of action in our vigil will be a Call-In Day on Monday, Jan. 25. The call line will be open throughout next week.

Learn more about United Methodists efforts to reform health care at http://www.umc-gbcs.org/healthcare.

John 10:10b says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Following in the footsteps of John Wesley, we envision a society where every person is afforded health, wholeness and human dignity. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we just commemorated, famously wrote in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”: “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” Less well known, perhaps, but compelling nonetheless is his admonition: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

Turning back now could mean justice delayed for another generation.
Let us make our voices heard!

Cynthia Abrams
Director, Alcohol, Other Addictions, and Health Care
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church
100 Maryland Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002