getting perspective

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion, for there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.

(Psalm 133:1-2)

It has been rightly said that the church is a unique entity, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries. As the most global, interconnected, inter-racial, multi-ethnic community on earth, we, as Christians, are united by nothing less than our faith in Christ. This bond allows Christians from six continents to call themselves brothers and sisters in a way that no other group can.

Our interconnected, mass media and social media-saturated world can feel a bit stressful at times. Stories that might have percolated through to us over days or weeks just a few years ago (or over months and years a scant century past!) can appear live-streamed on our desktops and phones. We know what is happening in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, or Lebanon almost as soon as it happens.

But we can also hear the latest news from a mission partner or church member in another part of the world in no time. We can participate in live webinars with Christians from every corner of the world.

Amidst this constant flow of information, it’s important to consider whether all this communication enhances our sense of being part of a larger, global body of Christ or if we risk missing what God is doing because of our endless doom-scrolling.

This edition of Triple Helix serves as a powerful reminder of the incredible family of God, of which we are a small part. Within this family, we are also part of other networks, such as the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) and Nurses Christian Fellowship International (NCFI). The recent significant gatherings of these associations – ICMDA in Berlin and NCFI in Malaga– brought together hundreds of Christian health professionals in fellowship and unity, providing them with encouragement in their service of the Lord.We are privileged to share reports of these impactful events in this edition of Triple Helix.

We also have news from our sister bodies in the Netherlands and the US on the ethical challenges Christian medics and nurses face with all the cultural and technological changes in healthcare. It is encouraging to know that the issues they face are not much different from our own in the UK and Ireland, and it’s helpful to see how the Lord is helping them rise to those challenges.

We also have stories of what it’s like to be a medical student in Kenya, a medical missionary in a war-torn nation, and to pioneer medical care in an unreached region. In all these stories, we see the incredible grace and provision God has for his people.

There are so many more stories we could tell – of the experience of international medical graduates in the UK, 1 of the opportunities for Christians to have a significant impact on global health, 2 and of the struggles to maintain unity and pursue justice in an increasingly divided world. 3 But you can read some of those stories in past editions.

I pray that this edition inspires and encourages you to see what God is doing through Christians in the health and caring professions across the globe. I pray that the stories will enable you to look above the stresses and struggles you face and get a glimpse of the glorious big picture of what God is doing in the world.

This edition of Triple Helix also marks the next step in our development as a publication. From next autumn, editions will be primarily online, and if you want a print copy, you will need to let us know (email communications@cmf.org.uk). This is for two reasons: first, to increase the reach of the magazine well beyond the UK and Ireland, and second, to reduce costs. Triple Helix is becoming increasingly expensive to print and post, and as a fellowship, we want to steward our resources, given by you, far more wisely. We will still be producing a small print run of the magazine, and we will happily post copies to you if you request them. Watch this space for further news and updates.