I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by the global financial collapse. A recent article in the journal First Things (www.FirstThings.com) points out how the removal of the five cardinal virtues from our economic system has destroyed the trust between creditor and borrower, and seller and buyer.
Although some lawmakers have proposed legislation requiring banks to make loans, as a means to force more creditor-buyer relationships, I think most people understand that trust is earned and paid for. Forced loans won’t have trust as a foundation.
In hospice, and all medical care, trust between the patient and the medical team is required for the system to function. But trust in this context is fundamentally different from credit markets.
I have heard the difference described as comparing a contract to a covenant. In a contract, the parties may breach the pre-agreed rules and face the consequences. In a covenant, there is a promise never to violate the trust one person has given to the other.
I know that I prefer a covenant with my physician and nurse. Who wouldn’t? We are humans, made in God’s image, and therefore precious. At Texas Hospice, our mission statement expresses that “we exist to be used by God to improve the lives of people who have a life-limiting diagnosis.” And that is what we endeavor to do.
