I had the privilege of hosting author and speaker Rosaria Butterfield several weeks ago on our weekly podcast, CMDA Matters. Her new book, The Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age, is a must read if you or a family member are struggling with the deceptions of LGBTQ-ism or radical feminism, or if you are pursuing a God honoring balance of truth and love in your family or professional spheres on these issues. Rosaria, as a former lesbian and feminist activist professor at Syracuse University, is a formidable truth speaker in our culture. Something she said to me at the outset of our conversation was sobering and yet inspiring: “Dr. Chupp, I love CMDA because you serve as a greatly needed resource and support for those who are battling on the frontlines of these issues.” She is not the only non-medical professional to come to this conclusion. I have heard similar comments from leaders at the Colson Center, at Dallas Theological Seminary, at the Heritage Foundation, from state legislators and from faith-based legal advocates working at Alliance Defending Freedom, the Beckett Fund and the Christian Legal Society.

Do you see yourself as Rosaria Butterfield and other U.S. Christian cultural influencers see you—as a soldier “on the frontlines” and in the trenches for truth, justice and the kingdom of God? As a healthcare professional, I am quite sure you have accepted your role as advocate for patients, their families and for healthier communities, and you may have even supported healthcare colleagues who are burnt out or “on the ropes” in their practices. Being on the “frontlines” in our current context reminds me of the huge challenges that faced the Jewish exiles who returned from Babylon under Nehemiah’s leadership. Finding Jerusalem in ruins, they attempted to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in record time to ensure the safety and security of the returned remnant. In the process, they also had to wield weapons of war in one hand while holding building tools in the other. I am guessing sleep was at a premium and stress levels were off the charts for this Jewish remnant. I wonder how many second-guessed their choice to leave the relative comfort of their lives back in Babylon and maybe even resented the fact that Nehemiah and his leadership team were asking so much of them. Do you ever feel like a wall-builder tasked to add a responsibility you never signed up for? Your professional responsibilities can stretch you to the max, leaving little to no margin for anything else. The very notion that you, as a Christian in healthcare, should engage in advocacy for truth “on the frontlines” might seem impossible or unfair.

Culturally Relevant is one of eight guiding core values of your CMDA, including Christ-like, Compassionate, Committed to Scripture, Communing in Prayer, Controlled by the Spirit, Courageous and Competent. I am convinced that protecting our patients and our society from the consequences of distorted truth in our U.S. healthcare context (including truth related to the sanctity of life, gender and sexuality, addictions, conscience freedoms and the impact of faith upon health and well-being) makes our efforts and those of our members more culturally relevant than ever. I looked up the definition for the word “relevant” and found the word comes from the medieval Latin word, “relevare” which means “to raise, lift up.” Our 2024 CMDA National Convention will take place at Ridgecrest Conference Center near Black Mountain, North Carolina on May 2-5. Our theme this year is “Raising His Banner” from Isaiah 11:10-12. Could there be a more relevant truth to raise as Christians in healthcare than the message of the cross of the Root of Jesse, a “…banner for the nations…” according to Isaiah 11:12? I hope you will join us for our annual convention in May and choose to be one of those Christ followers who is willing to accept the responsibility of taking up the sword of the Word of Truth in one hand, while diligently performing the professional tasks that the Great Physician and your patients have entrusted to you in 2024. CMDA is here to educate, encourage and equip you for those very tasks in 2024 and beyond!