By Memihir Leulekal Akalu Alemu
The Holy Bible is a book that contains many books that are divided into two main parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is a book that contains 46 books. This is a holy book for two major religions, Judaism and Christianity. The New Testament is a holy book of Christians only because the New Testament is about Jesus Christ and Christianity. So the Churches all over the world follow the teaching of the holy bible that has the New and Old Testament. The book not only teaches about existence of God but also about values and ethics. It also teaches about a long history of human social life and lawful activities. According to the Holy Bible people lived together helping each other and challenging natural and social problems together for many years. The Ten Commandments in the holy bible are good examples and models for the modern lawful social and governmental rules (Exodus 20:1 New Living Translation (NLT)), Sharing power (Exodus 18: 21-23 NLT), struggling for civil right (Exodus 2:1 to the end NLT) respecting elders, etc are examples of modern social science. The Bible’s teaching can be a good role model for the truthful social work education and social worker because it teaches about helping a person in situation without discrimination, respecting poor people with standing for their civil rights, and providing an effective social work as the main character of the New Testament, Jesus Christ did in his life and teaching.
First of all the Holy Bible teaches that every person should help a person in-situation any time, everywhere without discrimination. Life is sometimes sweet and other times sour. The bible says that “when others are happy be happy with them, if they are sad share their sorrow” (Romans 12: 15 NLT). This is a good quote for a social worker who shares his/her clients’ feelings or empathies. The above verse indicates every person in-situation because it says “when others… are sad” it doesn’t say if your people or family or friends are “sad.” This indicates that the help and sharing the burden must be professional and all human beings should be seen equally. On the same part it says that “if your enemies are hungry, feed them, if they are thirsty give them something to drink…” (Roman 12: 20 NLT). This verse is not only for Christians who need blessing by doing good for the needy people but it is also a good verse for professional social workers because they must help any needy person without personal reason. This means to change people’s lives the social work profession forces professionals to work equally for clients without expecting any favors from them.
The most interesting example about helping a person in-situation without discrimination is the proverb story of the Good Samaritan. When Jesus answered for a man who wanted to justify his actions and when he asked Jesus saying “who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied to him with the following example,
A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a Jewish priest came along, but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his won donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told him to take care of the man. If his bill runs higher than that, he said, I will pay the difference the next time I am here. (Luke 10: 30-36 NLT). In the above historical example Jesus illustrates the good characters of a social worker.
1. The Samaritan person could not ignore the person-in-situation as the other two Jewish men but he helped him by giving more attention for the wounded person than his own personal business. This is a very good example for a professional social worker because a good and professional social worker feels responsible for people’s lives and his/her first success is helping person-in-situation.
2. When the Samaritan saw the person who needed help he didn’t want to know where he is from, his origin, his ethnic group, his nationality, but when he saw the person-in-situation he felt responsible to help and save his life. This is very similar to social work ethics. As the Samaritan example or history, a professional social worker focuses on solving the problems of person-in-situation without discrimination and focuses on the problems not on the person’s personal identity.
3. The Samaritan helping process is also a good example and role model for being a good social worker. What he did was after understanding the person’s problem he leads and takes him to an appropriate place where a person-in-situation can get help. “Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to inn, where he took care of him.” (Verse 34) The verse can be compared with a good professional case worker in social work field. A social worker alone may not solve clients’ problems, he/she has to take the client to the appropriate place where the client can get help. It is the social worker’s responsibility to give information and ideas to the client and lead them to a place where help can be found. And that is exactly what the Samaritan did.
4. The Samaritan also follows up the person-in-situation’s case. After this person gets help he checks if there is a problem between him and his professional helpers and acts as a mediator for the person’s life. This indicates that a social case worker who follows up his/her clients’ day today lives. Social workers have to follow up their clients and see whether the treatment is working or not if they are on treatment, check if they are improving in their life style, check if they are receiving the help they needed, etc.
In general in the above example, Jesus teaches how, by whom, for who help is delivered. The example also shows the kind of characters that a good case manager should have. As a good case manager the Good Samaritan play the following case manger’s roles. He was the direct personal support for person-in-situation because in the same way case manger “no matter what other roles you play in the life of your clients one of the foundations to helping is having a good supportive relationship with clients and offering them a sense of hope.” (Frankle 2004) Crisis intervention is the second role of social case managers because as the name implies crisis intervention is a limited and very focused strategy to asses the severity of the situation. As the Good Samaritan, social case manager “must be able to quickly assess both the severity of a potential crisis and the same available for resolving it.” (Frankel 2004) So the above example is a good lesson for all who are supposed to be open-minded and helpful for every needy client.
Next, the Holy Bible teaches about respecting poor people and standing for their lives. According to the Holy Bible, poor are very respected and their needs must be fulfilled and they have to get help wherever they live. People who can help poor people are called “blessed” and “righteous.” The poor people’s needs are counted as the king of this world’s need because Jesus counted the poor needs as his own needs. Jesus stated that
Then the king will say to those on the right, come, you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared of you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me, I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home, I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you? And the king will tell them, I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me! (Matthew 25:34-40 NLT)
In the above reading Jesus called the poor “my brothers” and he said “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters you were doing it to me.” All lovely Jesus’ words expressed poor with big respect. In the reading the most and basic needs are also mentioned. Those needs are: food for hungry person, drink for thirsty person, shelter or house for homeless or stranger, close for naked person, visiting for sick or person-in-situation, and others. These needs are significant for a good social worker who works hard to change the life of the poor and special population.
In addition the Bible teaches to be a voice for people who do not have voices. It also teaches about standing for people’s rights and equality. For example Moses was sent to Egypt by God to stand for Israelite’s freedom. (Exodus 2 NLT) The other example is the history about the king Ahab and Naboth. According to 1 King when King Ahab and his wife killed Naboth to take his vineyard which he got from his family with out law, the bible tells the story how God and his messenger Elijah stood for downtrodden Naboth.
King Ahab had a place in Jezreel, and near the place was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. One day Ahab said to Naboth, since your vineyard is so convenient to the place, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden… But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbids that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.” So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat!… Are you the king of Israel or not? Jezebel asked. Get up and eat and don’t worry about it. I will get you Naboth’s vineyard! So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name sealed them with his seal and sent them to the elders and others leaders of the city where Naboth lived. In her letters she commanded: call citizens together for fasting and prayers and give Naboth a place of honor. Find two scoundrels who live will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death… (1 King 21:1-15 NLT)
Even though Naboth was killed because of his property, the messenger of God Elijah accused this inhumanity tasks “… the Lord said to Elijah …go down to meet King Ahab …give him this message: ‘this is what the Lord says: Isn’t killing Naboth bad enough? Must you rob him too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood outside the city just as licked the blood of Naboth!” (1king 20: 17 NLT) The above verse indicates how God is concerned for poor or ignored people and how God had the right judgment on dictator king Ahab.
Finally the main character of the New Testament Jesus Christ is a good example of a talented social worker in his life and teaching. The following quotation makes clear about his stand “the spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come…” (Luke 4 :18-19 NLT) On the above reading the key terms are “to preach good news to the poor,” “to proclaim that the captives will be released the blind see,” “the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors.” These words indicate the goal of social work field education because the verse expresses a better life for every person.
Jesus also called on his teaching poor and overwhelmed people for better life and getting help saying that “come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT) This indicates how Jesus was looking at all people-in-situation, how he was interested for people’s better life and to avoid the heavy burdens of lives on all people. He didn’t stop by calling people with a heavy life burdens but he helped them practically too. For example he was a good social worker for disable people “he saw a woman who had had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double of or eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘woman, you are healed of your sickness!’ then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight” (Luke 13:11 NLT) . His help was not for physical disabled only but also for mentally disabled people too “as Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was passed by possessed by demons came out to meet him. Homeless and naked, he had lived in a cemetery for a long time… so the demons came out of the man… a crowd soon gather around Jesus for they wanted to see for themselves what had happened. They saw the man who had been possessed by demons sitting quietly at Jesus feet, clothed and sane” (Luke 8: 27-36 NLT). Jesus was very devoted for his service for needy people and he did it with full willingness. As he said “the son of man came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 NLT) He is a good example for social workers who feel responsible for other people’s needs and who are willing to pay price for the sake of other people’s better lives. Jesus was helpful for poor and needy people in his deed, in his teaching, in his miracles, and in his counseling.
To conclude The Holy Bible teaches to respect elders, disables, poor people, and others who are part of the special population. The Bible strongly supports social work. Those who work for other people’s better life by providing their needs, solving peoples’ psychological, social, and physical problems are counted as one of the holy people who make God happy and glorify him by their good social works. As stated in the first paragraph, The Bible’s teaching is a good role model for the truthful social worker because it teaches about helping a person in situation without discrimination, respecting poor people and standing for their civil rights. The main character of the New Testament Jesus Christ is a good example of a talented social worker in his life and teaching. The holy bible in general is a very good book to read especially for a social worker because in addition to teaching how to be a responsible and caring social worker, it reveals the reward such a person receives.
Reference
Frankel Arthur (2004) An Introduction to concepts and skills case Management,
Lyceum Books Inc. Chicago Illinois.
Holy Bible New Living International Translation. Tyndale House Publisher Inc,
Wheaton Illinois, 1996.
