Worldview

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

Most Christians in North America have quoted at least part of that verse at some point in their lives. Some quote it frequently, but do any of us actually believe it and see it as reality in our everyday lives?
I am reading a book right now which I purchased while we were still in Canada, but didn’t start reading until recently. The book talks about our worldview. I am not very far into the book yet, but it has given me many occasions to pause for thought and look at my life- my life in North America (where my worldview primarily comes from) and my life here in Uganda where there is a very different worldview.
One example in the book is regarding how we respond to illness- a very interesting example in view of the verse above. The book discussed how as westerners we would seek medical attention, take all the medicine, do all the therapies the doctor recommended, etc, etc and then when we were desperate and had nowhere else to turn, maybe we would pray for healing. The author discusses how we often see our bodies as machines, governed by physical rules and nothing else. But Ephesians 6:12 doesn’t lead us to believe that we are governed only by physical rules, it seems to be saying the opposite! I do need to clarify that I am not saying we don’t need science; I have a Bachelor of Science degree. Please stick with me through the rest of the blog so we can look for a balance here.
On the other side of the coin is the worldview that exists among the majority of African people, as well as others in many parts of the world. When they become ill or injured, they ask what spirit is causing this or what person has had this spirit afflict me with this illness? For Christians here in Uganda, the automatic first response is to pray against the spirit that has caused this illness. For those who do not know Jesus (and unfortunately, even for some who claim to), they will seek out the services of a witch doctor. Please do not think that I am condoning the practice of consulting witch doctors- I certainly am not, but the point I want to make is this: Even those who don’t know Jesus, know that the battle is not against flesh and blood.
The problem with both of these worldviews is polarization- westerners have forgotten that it is a spiritual battle and we need to seek God FIRST (and yes, He may also use science to heal us). In Africa the problem is to the other extreme where the problem is seen only as spiritual. Many, many, many (I won’t even guess at a number) people have died of AIDS without ever seeking medical attention. Getting people to start taking and continue taking ARVs (Aids medicine) is a huge problem. The point I am trying to make is that we need to recognize our spiritual selves first while not neglecting our physical selves.
All that was just the introduction to today’s blog, here is the real story. Greg has been sick for the past few days with an extremely nasty GI bug (I won’t go into details!) So I (the North American nurse) have dipped into my large supply of medical tricks- Pepto and probiotics (that’s what usually works), liquid silver (good for lots of bugs). However, the symptoms have continued to get worse and last night was a particularly bad night. This morning he looked awful, felt even worse, but really needed to be at work for at least a few hours this morning. My thought process today has centered around- do I start him on the antibiotics that we brought along or do I take him to the medical clinic?
When Greg got to work one of his co-workers asked what was wrong. This man is Ugandan- totally different worldview…Guess what he did. He prayed for Greg! (What a great idea- why didn’t I think of that?) And guess what- Greg just texted me to say that he is feeling much better. It is not a battle of flesh and blood…
In North America, we often talk about how people need an attitude adjustment. I need a “worldview adjustment”!