As part of national events celebrating the 70th birthday of the NHS in 2018, Castle Square United Reformed Church, Treforest and St David’s Uniting Church, Pontypridd, planned their own party as a way of showing their appreciation to the health service, its dedicated staff and founder Aneurin Bevan. The Revd Phill Wall, Minister of St David’s Uniting Church, who literally Walked the Way across Wales as part of the festivities shares his thoughts.
The guiding principles of the NHS are very much aligned with those found in the Bible: of a society where the needs of everyone are the concerns of everyone; where compassion and care are not contingent upon financial assets but are intrinsic to our very humanity; where the vulnerable and the ill are to be treated as people, not consumers.
After all, we believe that when God came to us in human form he cared for the vulnerable and healed the sick; challenged an obsession with wealth and charged us to love neighbours and strangers; he washed feet, touched lepers, treated young and old with dignity and heralded a kingdom of justice and joy in which all would be made whole.
So, we put on a symphony of celebrations, from projects with primary schools and local artists to history talks and concerts, all of which centred upon a trek from Rhyl to Cardiff.
Over a course of nine days, we walked the breadth of Wales, visiting hospitals and hospices, surgeries and care homes along the way. At each stop, we had time to show our gratitude to the staff, giving them cards, chocolates and presents created by the church’s craft and chat team as we prayed for God’s blessing on them.
We were so thankful for the warm hospitality given to us by church communities of various denominations, many of whom had been encouraged to put on their own events, including prayer breakfasts, cathedral worship and evening concerts, all in celebration of the NHS.
‘In wanting to share this great opportunity to give thanks, we gave out and collected in thousands of ‘God Bless the NHS’ postcards on which people wrote their own messages of personal thanks, shared what the NHS meant to them, or simply sent Birthday wishes. At the culmination of our walk, these postcards were given to Vaughan Gething, Welsh Secretary for Health and Social Services, as we joined the Tenovus Sing for Life choir on the steps of the Senedd, making known our appreciation for the NHS, calling upon our politicians to cherish and protect it.
Walking the Way through Wales, sharing food and fellowship with new Christian friends, praying for and being held in prayer by others, partnering with community groups and showing gladness in acts of appreciation, was a privilege, a joy (mostly!) and a real blessing to all of us involved.
You can read a poem with further details of the experience here. Contact us to explore how your church can take action on issues and matters close to the heart of your community in living the life of Jesus today.
