I’m a fan of David Letterman, so I was sorry to hear him confess that he’d had sex with some of his subordinates. But his inexcusable behavior doesn’t undermine for me another part of his legacy: the night when he had as his guests the doctors and nurses who worked with him when he had open-heart surgery. The normally jocular Letterman got choked up when he gave them credit for saving his life.
This Sunday is St. Luke’s Day. Since this biblical writer is thought to have been a doctor, his day is often used to remember physicians. As a low-church Mennonite I’m not inclined toward recognizing the saints of the day, but I believe in the communion of saints, and I’m pleased to honor the evangelist who gave us the third Gospel and the first history of the early church—and to honor as well some of the doctors who've cared for me.
The best doctor I ever had was Michael Severino, a cardiologist who saw me through three heart surgeries in one year. An Italian-American Catholic, he would have been a great priest if he hadn’t chosen medicine as his profession. He told me that he relied on my opinions and perceptions because he knew I observed my own body well. What's more, he respected the role of prayer and faith in the healing process. Once Dr. Severino admitted that he had worried about my wellbeing over a weekend.
Not coincidentally, for the past few years my primary care physician has been Dr. Severino’s father, Dr. Ronald Severino. He's an affable man who always seemed glad to see me. He’s now retired, and his replacement is a young doctor. When I saw him for the first time, he seemed more interested in the papers in my medical folder than in me personally. I know I need to give him time, but it’s my life he’s caring for—a life that isn’t limitless.
I also appreciate doctors who double as writers, especially those who reflect holistically on the human and spiritual dimensions of their work. After I had open-heart surgery I was glad to discover Dr. Lester R. Sauvage’s The Open Heart, which, while not a great literary work, raises issues I found fruitful for reflection. Whenever Sauvage consults with patients who are candidates for open-heart surgery, he asks them to ponder a series of questions:
- What will I do with the added years this surgery will bring?
- How will I find increased happiness in the “extra years”?
- What is happening to me?
- embrace each day to the fullest
- talk to God—and listen, too
- serve God by serving humanity
Honor physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; for their gift of healing comes from the Most High....Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians.This remarkable text is delightfully holistic: it recognizes the agency of both the human doctor and the divine spirit in the healing process. For this passage alone I wish that the apocryphal Ecclesiasticus—not to be confused with Ecclesiastes—could be added to the Protestant canon.
Use St. Luke’s day as an occasion to thank a doctor for her services or to pray for her work. Actually, any day would be good for that.
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