An Incomplete Prescription for a Sick Society

This past week one of my fellow church members sent me an online article that instantly drew my attention. It was originally published online by People on January 7 and was written by Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States. Dr Murthy is completing his cabinet term under the Biden administration as the nation’s foremost doctor , and he presented his article as “my parting prescription for the country I love”.

What he wrote captivated me for several reasons. His prescription didn’t feature a call to weight loss or nutrition, more research for disease cures, eradication of hunger in the lower classes, or any other talking point we might have expected. His focus and deep concern for his nation was found in the “deeper root causes of pain and unhappiness I encounter so often across this country”. I found myself identifying with so much of what he was saying, observing the same realities and feeling the same burdens. He seemed to be striking so close to the bullseye on so many of our culture’s maladies. It was remarkably insightful.

He sees epidemics of loneliness and emptiness running rampant in our culture. The pursuit of wealth, power, and success are simply sapping the energy of people and giving no satisfaction or meaning back in return. External pressures such as political and worldwide unrest, economic uncertainty, and worries about the future only feed all this unrest and absence of wellbeing. This reality has physical effects like heart disease, mental health issues, depression and anxiety. The contagion also spreads beyond the individual to the societal level, “robbing us of our optimism, and contributing to division and polarization.” People simply know that something is missing in their lives.

Especially concerning us here at Growing Fathers, he emphasizes the effect this reality has on young people: “about half of young people are struggling with loneliness… a majority of young adults say they have little or no sense of purpose or meaning in life.” For those of us raising the next generation, those are startling facts. Surely there is something to be done! What does the Surgeon General prescribe?

An Incomplete Prescription

I found myself drawn to his proposed path forward. His prescription to what he perceived as the root “sicknesses” of our nation is three-pronged.

After years of reflecting on the stories I have heard, delving into the scientific data, and convening researchers, I have come to see that there are three essential elements that fuel our fulfillment and well-being: relationships, service, and purpose.

Dr. Murthy calls on Americans dealing with this emptiness and lack of fulfillment not to pursue wealth, fame, and success, and power. Instead:

Relationships keep us grounded and bonded to each other. Service, from formal volunteering to informal small acts of kindness, is about helping each other. And purpose gives our life and sense of direction and meaning. Together, these elements form the triad of fulfillment.

He then spends several paragraphs fleshing out each part of his “triad of fulfillment” by suggesting various mindsets and specific forms that each could take.

We can identify with all of that! He has touched on some deeply rooted issues as well as on some potentially effective paths to healing. However, as I concluded his article I was struck by one final thing: his solution was still missing…something. While full of concern, well-meaning in his approach, and genuinely touching on accurate and effective means of improvement, he was still unable to fully present a solution that rang true, one that really answered all the questions and provided the full remedy.

He leaves the reader identifying with his burden and loving his call for change, but the prescription from this doctor still leaves you feeling there are missing pieces. How can we find those relationships he calls for? How exactly does service fill the empty void? And what is that ultimate purpose we must pursue, anyway? He sees the need, but he lacks the true, final, ultimate answer.

The Biblical Remedy

When I finished reading, I found myself smiling for a couple of reasons. First of all, I couldn’t help but be encouraged that a leading scholar and expert was putting his finger on a root problem in our society and having some insightful and helpful wisdom about doing something about it. The image of God in mankind, though marred by the presence of sin, still shines through in little but powerful glimpses!

But even more so, as I stopped scrolling I was overwhelmed with a joyous, hopeful thought: I know what’s missing. Not because I’m a doctor (not even close!) or an expert in anthropology or social theory (big words scare me!), but because I know that a source does exist that provides the crucial aspects of this prescription that Dr. Murthy, for all his heartfelt burden and accurate wisdom, is missing. That source is the absolute truth provided by the one true God–the One who created people, wants us to flourish, and knows how we function best.

Yes, relationships, service, and purpose are the solutions to the problems Dr. Murthy observes around us. But it is God’s character and his Word that dictates which relationships help best and how they should be pursued. Only God reveals what kinds of service are truly successful and have lasting value (and what the proper motivations are for such service). And only while living in God’s reality is our truest and ultimately fulfilling purpose found. Let me give you a couple brief examples of what I mean.

Purpose - Reflecting God’s Likeness

First of all, my ultimate purpose is found in two primary places, according to the Word of God. First, all people are created in God’s image for the purpose of reflecting his likeness for his pleasure and glory. As image bearers of God, we bear immense value and have significant purpose because we are the creatures God made to represent and worship him (Genesis 1:26–28).

But the fact that mankind chose to rebel against God for the purpose of pleasing and living for our own advancement and pleasure introduces the second source of our purpose: God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

My faith in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for my sin on the cross to redeem and cleanse me from sin means that I am purified in God’s eyes. Not only that, but I now am able to once again fulfill my purpose for which he created me! I’m not my own person anymore; instead I exist for the sake and glory of him who saved me (1 Cor. 6:20; 2 Cor. 5:15)! That’s my purpose! Nothing short of that will satisfy or bring fulfillment.

Service - To God and Others

That reality then defines our service, too! That’s the “good works” part from Titus 2 above. Yes, we must actively be involving ourselves in active ways for the betterment of those around us, but our calling to serve as God’s redeemed ones goes beyond the forms of service Dr. Murthy aptly prescribes. Our service is ultimately to God; when his pleasure is my motivation and his Son is my model, then I will indeed care properly for those around me and positively impact my fellow man.

Relationships - One with Christ and his Church

As for relationships, we can find ultimate deliverance from isolation by being a follower of Jesus. He himself is the dearest friend one could ever desire. But union with him creates a special union with others who also know and follow him. Christ’s church is the greatest, most precious, most inclusive collection of relationships of which you could possibly ever be a part.

The care, love, support, and eternal oneness experienced through commitment to the church of Jesus Christ is incomparable. Furthermore, being an active part of that body of Christ provides support for us as we pursue our purpose and gives us a place to serve.

Conclusion

Dr. Murthy made some really vitally helpful points. But the best humans can do without the help of the truth of God is identify a need and provide peripheral or incomplete solutions to the great problems of our society or our world. So let me remind you that, as a believer, you have the truth that he was missing–the truth that both enables you to fulfill your true purpose and provide you with great fulfillment at the same time.

Finally, I haven’t forgotten that this is a blog for Christian fathers! Dads, we have work to do in order to equip our children to enter and live in this world full of emptiness, loneliness, and listlessness. Teach and model for them what their ultimate purpose is in God’s reality. Show and tell them how service for their Savior is what is ultimately fulfilling and impactful on the world around them. And involve them in the greatest, loving, most glorious collection of relationships they can find–Christ’s church.

This isn’t just a message for us and our kids. This is a message our communities need. Jesus Christ died to free us from our sin and all the loneliness and emptiness and lack of satisfaction that comes with it. Dr. Murthy rightly exposed great needs around us. God’s Word perfectly presents the solutions. Let’s act on them and live them out, in our families and our communities by God’s grace!