Sometimes, certain Christians give other Christians a bad name. It’s easy to not feel close to the church when you hear about the greed and ignorance that sometimes happens within its walls. A woman explains how a North Carolina church went above and beyond to be helpful toward those in need. Many people in the community were shocked when they discovered that their medical debt was wiped out before their very eyes.
Elizabeth McAlarney (@paintbrushbetty) posted a TikTok video titled, “We need kindness” explaining how it happened. She said that a church in North Carolina purchased $3.3 million of local resident’s medical debt. The church in question was Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC. She said the church worked to negotiate the debt down and landed at an outstanding $15,000. Elizabeth said that this shows just how “outrageously inflated” our medical bills are.
Thanks to this church, the medical bills were canceled for many residents living in the area. Elizabeth said that this is what “do onto others” looks like in real time. She also added, “We need more kindness.” If a church wants to show community and grace toward others, this is a perfect example of how it can be done. It’s also important to note that they shouldn’t have had to negotiate that amount of debt. We also need a better, more streamlined healthcare system that doesn’t allow for people to carry such a large amount of debt just so they can receive proper care. It all starts by fixing things from the top.
One commenter pointed out in response to Elizabeth’s video, “I’m not religious, but I firmly believe this is what Christ would have done.” Another person quipped, “I’d love to see a Joel Osteen church do that but I know they would NEVER.” Even more heartwarming was a commenter who said that her $8,000 medical debt was personally paid down by this church. She said she received a letter in the mail two weeks ago. That’s how she discovered they purchased the debt and she no longer owes the money. I can’t imagine how good it felt to learn this. Seeing a church stand up in this kind of way is so moving.
