Relating the Mission of God to Shaping Policies and Practices for Well-Being

Introduction

In the pursuit of holistic community care, the integration of faith-based perspectives with practical approaches to health, justice, and social well-being has become increasingly important. As missional leaders, individuals and organizations are called not only to spread the message of hope and salvation but also to actively engage in the lives of the vulnerable who are marginalized, oppressed, or struggling with physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. The scriptures provide profound guidance on how to approach these issues, often through biblical illustrations that reflect God’s heart for restoration, healing, and justice. By drawing upon these biblical narratives, we gain insight into how faith can shape policies and practices that advocate for the well-being of individuals and communities. As we explore the connections between these biblical illustrations and contemporary applications, it becomes clear that the message of faith is not just one of spiritual transformation alone, but one that also calls for tangible actions in the communities where we live and serve.

The following sections delve into specific examples of how biblical illustrations, such as the prophetic visions of Ezekiel and the compassionate actions of Christ, provide frameworks for missional leaders to approach complex societal issues like mental health, social justice, and community well-being. By integrating these timeless teachings into their advocacy efforts, missional leaders can contribute to a world where restoration and justice are not merely ideals, but lived realities for all individuals, particularly those who are most in need.

1. Advocates for Spiritual Support Policies

The competent missional leader ensures spiritual support is integrated into healthcare and correctional systems, advocating for accessible care. In both healthcare and correctional settings, the leader recognizes the importance of spiritual well-being and supports policies that make such care accessible to all individuals, regardless of their circumstances. This includes advocating for chaplaincy services in hospitals, prisons, and other institutions, ensuring that those in need of spiritual care receive it. This type of advocacy may also extend to religious accommodations, such as the ability to observe religious practices while incarcerated or hospitalized. The role of the leader is to raise awareness about the spiritual needs of individuals in these settings and the positive impact of faith-based interventions on emotional, mental, and physical health.

Biblical Illustration
Ezekiel was commissioned by God (Ezekiel 2:1-10) to be a prophet to the rebellious house of Israel. God instructed Ezekiel to eat the scroll of lamentations and woes, a symbol of the hard message he was to deliver. Despite the challenging nature of his mission, Ezekiel was empowered by God to speak truth and offer hope through the promise of restoration. Similarly, in advocating for spiritual support policies, the missional leader must speak difficult truths while remaining hopeful and committed to restorative actions.

Ezekiel was called to deliver God’s message during the Babylonian exile, a time when the people of Israel were suffering in captivity after the fall of Jerusalem. This was a period of despair for the Israelites, who had experienced loss, trauma, and spiritual disillusionment. The people were resistant to change, and the message Ezekiel was tasked with delivering was one of both judgment and future restoration. In a similar way, missional leaders advocating for chaplaincy and pastoral care in institutions like hospitals or prisons are often speaking to those who are suffering, marginalized, or in crisis. They must bring both difficult truths and the promise of hope, often to those who feel forgotten or lost, much like Ezekiel’s prophetic message. In the broader cultural context, advocating for chaplaincy services and spiritual care is part of addressing the deeper emotional and spiritual needs of individuals who are in vulnerable situations.

Applications to Missional Careers in Pastoral Care & Chaplaincy

1. Compassionate Advocacy
   Advocating for spiritual care policies in hospitals and correctional facilities mirrors Ezekiel’s call to speak truth to those in despair, offering hope and spiritual renewal through faith-based services.
2. Cultural Sensitivity and Advocacy
   Just as Ezekiel faced a rebellious and hard-hearted audience, missional leaders must understand the challenges and resistances they face while advocating for spiritual support policies, ensuring that the needs of all individuals are met with respect and understanding.

2. Advocates for Sustainable Community Growth

The competent missional leader drives policy initiatives that empower marginalized communities, ensuring access to housing, employment, and resources. This involves working within local, state, and national systems to address systemic barriers that prevent underserved populations from achieving economic stability. These policies might focus on affordable housing initiatives, job training programs, or local economic development that prioritizes inclusivity and opportunity. The leader also recognizes the interconnectedness of community growth and advocates for a holistic approach to development that incorporates social, economic, and spiritual dimensions.

Biblical Illustration
In Ezekiel 34:11-31, God promises to shepherd His people, gathering them from where they are scattered and providing for their needs. This imagery of shepherding emphasizes care for the most vulnerable—those without a shepherd—and the restoration of broken communities. Like the Good Shepherd, the missional leader advocates for the empowerment and restoration of communities, ensuring they have access to resources and opportunities for flourishing.

During Ezekiel’s time, Israel was under threat from foreign powers, and the leaders were failing in their duties to protect and care for the people. The societal and political leadership had broken down, leaving the people vulnerable and scattered. The metaphor of the shepherd was significant because, in the ancient Near East, shepherds were responsible for guiding, protecting, and providing for their flocks. They were considered the caretakers of the community’s well-being. God, as the ultimate shepherd, promises to restore what was lost under the neglect of corrupt leaders. In the context of community development today, missional leaders act as “shepherds” who advocate for policies that restore the basic needs of marginalized communities, offering protection, resources, and guidance, just as the Good Shepherd would.

Applications to Missional Careers in Community Development

1. Building Equitable Communities
   Just as God promises to gather and restore His scattered flock, missional leaders work to restore economic and social infrastructure that empowers marginalized communities, fostering sustainable growth.
2. Collaboration and Partnership
   The Good Shepherd works with His people to bring about restoration. Similarly, missional leaders must work in collaboration with community members, local authorities, and other organizations to promote community development policies.

3. Advocates for Mental Health Services Access

The competent missional leader champions mental health reforms, advocating for better access to care, funding, and systemic support for rehabilitation. Mental health services, often marginalized, require significant policy changes to ensure equitable access for all individuals. The leader advocates for policies that allocate adequate funding for mental health programs, promote access to care in underserved communities, and reform the mental health system to reduce stigma and provide effective rehabilitation for those in need. These efforts help to ensure that people struggling with mental health issues have the resources and support they need to recover and reintegrate into society.

Biblical Illustration
Ezekiel prophesies about the people of Israel turning to idols (Ezekiel 6:1-14), forsaking their God. As a result, they face the judgment of God, who will cleanse them and restore their faith. This judgment is not just about punishment, but about bringing Israel back to a place of healing and restoration. The missional leader advocating for mental health services sees the brokenness of individuals as an opportunity for healing, just as God’s judgment and restoration in Ezekiel offer a path for healing and wholeness.

At the time of Ezekiel, Israel was experiencing a period of deep spiritual and moral corruption, which was intertwined with their political instability. Israel had turned to idolatry, influenced by surrounding nations who worshiped various gods and sought spiritual fulfillment through rituals and sacrifices to idols. This created a society where spiritual and emotional well-being were disregarded in favor of idol worship. Ezekiel’s message was one of judgment for their sins but also a message of hope that God would bring healing and restoration. In the same way, leaders advocating for mental health care must see the brokenness and often misguided coping mechanisms in society as an opportunity to offer spiritual and emotional healing. Just as God desired the restoration of Israel, missional leaders work to restore individuals who are struggling with mental health issues, seeing their recovery as part of a divine healing process.

Applications to Missional Careers in Behavioral Health & Rehabilitation:

1. Restorative Advocacy
   Just as God’s judgment leads to restoration, missional leaders advocate for rehabilitation programs that aim to restore individuals to a place of wholeness, offering both mental and spiritual care.
2. Comprehensive Care
   As the people of Israel were called to turn away from their idols, individuals struggling with mental health can be guided toward healing through comprehensive care that integrates mental health services with spiritual support.

4. Advocates for Equitable Healthcare Access

The competent missional leader engages with policymakers to create equitable health policies, ensuring comprehensive care and preventive programs for all. The leader understands that access to healthcare is a critical issue of justice, particularly for marginalized communities. By advocating for policies that ensure equal access to healthcare services, education on preventative care, and health programs that are culturally sensitive, the leader seeks to level the playing field and ensure that no one is left behind in receiving the care they need to lead a healthy life.

Biblical Illustration

In a well-known parable, a Samaritan man helps a wounded traveler (Luke 10:25-37), demonstrating mercy and care when others pass by. The Good Samaritan’s actions provide a clear model of compassionate advocacy for those in need. Just as the Samaritan didn’t ignore the man’s suffering, the missional leader must advocate for health policies that meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all individuals, particularly the vulnerable and underserved.

The parable of the Good Samaritan takes place in a context of deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans. The Jews viewed Samaritans as impure and enemies due to historical and religious tensions. In the parable, the Samaritan is portrayed as the hero, demonstrating mercy and care for a Jewish man who had been left for dead by the side of the road. The cultural context makes the Samaritan’s actions even more striking because he crossed cultural and ethnic boundaries to show compassion. Similarly, missional leaders today are called to transcend societal and cultural divisions to advocate for health policies that ensure all people, especially the vulnerable, receive compassionate care. The parable challenges the leader to act with mercy and address the needs of others, even when it requires crossing boundaries of prejudice or indifference.

Applications to Missional Careers in Community Health & Advocacy

1. Healthcare Advocacy as Compassionate Action
   Just as the Good Samaritan cared for the wounded man, missional leaders advocate for healthcare policies that address the needs of the injured and marginalized in their communities, ensuring that no one is overlooked.
2. Cross-Cultural Engagement
   The Samaritan in the parable crossed cultural boundaries to help the injured man, just as the missional leader must engage with diverse communities and advocate for health policies that are inclusive and accessible to all.

5. Advocates for Faith-Based Services in Broader Welfare Systems

The competent missional leader partners with policymakers to advocate for societal justice, integrating faith-based services into broader welfare systems. This includes advocating for policies that provide welfare support, access to social services, and opportunities for vulnerable individuals to achieve equality and dignity. The leader works to ensure that faith-based organizations are included in the delivery of services and resources, fostering collaboration between the church and social service agencies. This work aims to create an integrated, holistic system of care that meets the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families.

Biblical Illustration
Ezekiel condemns the leaders of Israel for their exploitation of the poor and needy (Ezekiel 22:1-16), showing how the injustice of leadership results in a broken society. Despite the corruption of Israel’s leaders, God promises eventual restoration and justice. The missional leader, in advocating for policies that support justice and social welfare, works to correct these systemic injustices, ensuring that all individuals, especially the poor and vulnerable, are cared for and treated with dignity.

In Ezekiel’s time, Jerusalem’s leaders were corrupt, exploiting the poor and vulnerable while leading the people into idolatry and injustice. This reflected the larger societal decay that was occurring across Israel. The religious and political leaders failed to uphold the values of justice and mercy that God had outlined for them, leading to societal breakdown. Ezekiel’s prophecies were a direct condemnation of the systemic injustice that had taken root in the leadership and, by extension, the society at large. However, Ezekiel also pointed to a time of restoration when God would bring justice and righteousness back to Israel. Today, in the context of social work and faith-based advocacy, missional leaders can draw on this same vision of justice—advocating for policies that correct systemic inequalities and provide care for the marginalized, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background or status, are treated with dignity and respect. Like Ezekiel, leaders must call for the correction of societal wrongs and work for the restoration of a just and compassionate community.

Applications to Missional Careers in Social Work & Faith Community Service

1. Advocacy for Justice
   Just as Ezekiel calls out the corruption of Israel’s leaders, missional leaders advocate for systemic changes that promote justice and equity for the marginalized.
2. Faith-Based Collaboration
   As faith communities are part of the solution, missional leaders work to create partnerships between faith-based organizations and social service agencies to maximize their reach and impact in serving the needy.

Conclusion

The intersection of faith and advocacy is a powerful space where biblical principles of justice, mercy, and healing meet the real-world needs of individuals and communities. As demonstrated through the biblical illustrations discussed, from the judgment and restoration promised in Ezekiel to the mercy of the Good Samaritan, there is a clear call for missional leaders to actively engage in addressing the systemic issues that affect the marginalized and vulnerable. These examples provide guidance for how to navigate the complexities of community care, policy advocacy, and social work with both compassion and a deep commitment to justice.

Ultimately, the role of the missional leader is not only to speak the truth of the gospel but also to translate that truth into actions that promote the well-being of others. Whether advocating for policies that support mental health services, working to rebuild broken communities, providing pastoral care in moments of crisis, or seeking justice for the oppressed, the call to action is clear: to reflect the love, compassion, and justice of Christ in all that we do. These biblical illustrations show that God’s heart is not only for individual salvation but for the healing and restoration of entire communities and societies. As missional leaders, our role is to carry out this divine mission by living out these principles in practical ways, ensuring that the message of hope we carry is not just preached, but embodied in the systems, services, and policies that shape the lives of those around us.

In a world where brokenness and injustice often seem overwhelming, the example of faithful persistence in the parables, the compassion shown by God through His prophets, and the call for restorative action serve as both inspiration and instruction. By embracing the profound wisdom of these biblical narratives, missional leaders are better equipped to be agents of change, bringing hope, healing, and restoration to communities in need. As we move forward in our advocacy, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to pursue justice, offer mercy, and provide care, reflecting God’s heart for restoration in every sphere of life.

Curt Watke, PhD

Dr. Curt Watke is a distinguished missiologist whose three-plus-decade-long career has significantly impacted Christian mission work in North America, particularly in under-reached and challenging regions. Holding a Ph.D. in Evangelism and Missions, Dr. Watke has focused on bridging cultural gaps and fostering sustainable Christian communities by developing innovative strategies that address contemporary challenges like globalization, urbanization, and religious pluralism. His emphasis on cultural sensitivity and contextualization in mission work is reflected in his collaborative writings, including notable works such as “Ministry Context Exploration: Understanding North American Cultures” and “Starting Reproducing Congregations.” Beyond his writing, Dr. Watke is a sought-after speaker and educator, lecturing at seminaries and conferences worldwide, and his teachings continue to inspire and equip new generations of missional leaders. His enduring legacy is marked by unwavering dedication to the mission of God and a profound influence on missional thought and practice.  Dr. Watke serves as President and Professor of Evangelism & Missiology at Missional University.