DR.

ROBERT STRANG, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia, guided the province as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic crisis together. Dr. Strang believes faith groups including churches have a role to play in supporting the public health of our communities. With his encouragement, our faculty have discovered some ways that the Christian church can support health and well being for the common good. Their reflections are being published in the first volume of East Coast Theology entitled Pandemic, Public Health, and the People of God that will be released in June 2023.

Recently, ADC President Rev. Dr. Anna Robbins had a conversation with Dr. Strang to discuss the importance of the local church’s involvement in ongoing community care.

Dr. Anna Robbins (AR): What does it look like for the church to play a role in the health of communities?

Dr. Robert Strang (RS): We need to look at health in all its dimensions: physical, emotional, and spiritual. All of us have some sense of spirituality. Spiritual health is about where we find meaning and how we understand our place in the world. Increasingly, people are feeling lost. Spiritual connection is foundationally important. If we don’t have that, we’re rudderless. Traditionally, churches have played a significant role in community. There have been challenges as well – the church has been part of some not-so-good things in community, too, and understanding how to acknowledge that is something we need to grapple with collectively. But there is still a place for the church in community to meet people where they’re at, to serve needs without judgement, and to love people without an agenda.

AR: That’s the way Jesus approached the public. There was a call to “follow me” but if you followed Jesus, it was to follow him while he was healing, while he was helping, while he was feeding. In what other ways can the church participate in the common good of our communities?

RS: In these challenging economic times, housing and food are two core needs. There’s an opportunity for churches to collaborate with community groups and organizations that are already meeting these critical needs. A collective impact is greater and more efficient at minimizing gaps and overlaps. Health is about adequate resources and opportunities. Nutritious food, clean school and work environments, spaces that promote physical activity, resources that support mental health, and communities that create a sense of belonging and acceptance regardless of background or context – these are just some of the complex social factors that determine our individual and collective health. Many of the needed solutions

“Many of the needed solutions are in community, and there is absolutely a place for churches in that complex mix of how we create safe, vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities for everybody.” are in community, and there is absolutely a place for churches in that complex mix of how we create safe, vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities for everybody.

At the core, I believe our Christian faith is about loving and caring for each other; that’s how we demonstrate our love to God. I am of the strong belief that uniting around that core is an opportunity for the collective church to be more meaningful, relevant, and attractive to our communities.

AR: The teaching of some churches has been that there’s a separation between body and soul as if the body doesn’t matter. A human being is a body and a soul, and God has created us to thrive. Yet, we see this divide as if the body is unimportant.

RS: There’s a parallel in medicine where for far too long we divided mind and body. But we’re learning more about how they are connected. The state of your mind has an impact on your physical health, and the state of your physical health has an impact on your mental health.

On an individual level, our health is physical, mental, and spiritual – the soul is our spiritual health. But it’s all in one body. The body is what we’re given so we can do what we’re called to do for our family, for our community: to show love. Keeping ourselves whole – including spiritually – allows us to fulfill our call to love God and to love others.

AR: The Western world is in a medical crisis relating to body, mind, and soul. What can the church in Atlantic Canada do to respond to that?

RS: A vital part of building communities is making sure people aren’t isolated. This is by no means meant to replace the healthcare system. It’s about support. People need somewhere they can reach out to for help that may delay or prevent them from needing a formal healthcare system.

A lot of mental health challenges brought on by the complexities of day-to-day life – beyond diagnosable psychiatric illness – can be addressed in community. But we need to create space for people to be open about their mental wellness. Communities, including churches, are very good at caring for people who have physical ailments by bringing meals and offering support. But if someone feels comfortable enough to share that they’re struggling with depression or anxiety or stress, we’re not nearly as ready to move in with support or practical help because we’re still not as comfortable with mental health challenges.

AR: I think sometimes people are reluctant to address mental wellness because they think they’re not properly equipped. But we don’t need to become therapists; we simply need to listen to people and support them day to day.

RS: I agree. If we create spaces where people know they can receive unconditional support, who knows what that might grow into? There’s a place for the healthcare system to work with community organizations – including churches.

Churches have physical space and often a solid volunteer base. We need to work together and be part of a network approach to engage the community, identify the needs, and come up with collaborative solutions.

AR: When it comes to your own mental health, how are you processing the experience of COVID-19? I know so many leaders who are exhausted. What insights do you have for those who are still feeling that?

RS: It starts with recognizing where you are at and being okay with asking for help and perhaps putting your well being first. Take time to completely step away. Not just for a weekend, but for a good chunk of time. Surrounding yourself with people who understand what you’re going through is very helpful. It’s therapeutic to commiserate and connect over that common bond. It has a healing, soothing effect when you’re together. I also made the choice to see a psychologist periodically to help process some of the bigger things, which I think is important.

AR: I wish more people could hear that. I can already see something we need to send out to our leaders: take a break, process with other people, and engage professional support. Public health is about serving and sharing burdens.

RS: It’s about the collective. Life is always going to have challenges and we need to find ways to work together to support one another.