A physician told me about a visit he made to England several years ago. It was a horticultural society international meeting at St. Albans. A vicar, canon or whatnot was active in the society and served as a guide to the American delegation over a period of a few days. He and Dr., in the process, came to know one another. The clergyman told the doctor that he had glaucoma and was on the waiting list for treatment. The time of wait was two years. The doctor looked at him, asked questions, and told him that he needed immediate attention and to go private or he would lose his sight. The man refused. His excuse was that he felt he had to “set an example” to his congregation by joining the queue. The physician learned that he went blind before his name came up on the list.
A few random thoughts:
What kind of example?
It occurs to me that to give the State total control over one’s sight is idolatry. To give the State control over one’s body to the extent that one suffers pain , blindness or even death seems to me to be offering sacrifices to an idol, the State. We are forbidden to worship or give offerings to idols.
This man sacrificed his sight to the State and by doing so, set a ( put your own adjective here) example to his congregation. The example he might have set is to have gone private, announced it to his congregation and urged them to go and do likewise. He might also have started , using his own experience , to help them to see the evil in giving (and it is given, since they could rebel) this kind of power to the State. Jesus told us to” render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”, but our bodies are not Caesar’s. They are God given.
It appears to me that If we are complicit in giving this kind of power to the State, we are equally complicit, and responsible for, the consequences. I don’t want that kind of power and I greatly fear those who do.

This has been much on my mind . Do you think the Church should take a larger role in helping their members to give this more thought?