June 18, 2025 “My twin sister has a useful job. She’s a nurse. She saves lives. Me? I talk and write a lot.” I say versions of that regularly. I know I said a version of it just a couple weeks ago while I was training a group of people in Canton to administer naloxone (Narcan) to reverse opioid overdoses (read about that training session here). This week, just eight days after I shared that sentiment during the Canton training, I learned that an individual who attended an earlier training session used naloxone – naloxone I had handed out – to save the life of a loved one. I would love it more than anything if no human ever overdosed again. That’s not our current reality, though, so I’m grateful there are ways to keep someone alive when it does happen. It’s almost overwhelming for me to consider I played a small role in that. I guess I have a useful job, too. Let’s be honest: people have mixed feelings about harm reduction as it relates to drug use. I understand that. It’s a complicated issue. I also understand that we, as followers of Christ and His Church, believe in the dignity of – and work to protect – all life, from conception to natural death. That can be challenging. I certainly struggle to see the dignity of at least a few people I can think of (God and I working on that). I also understand that Jesus commanded us to “love one another” and “heal the sick.” He didn’t put conditions or qualifications on those instructions. He didn’t say, “love one another but only if the others demonstrate love for themselves” or “heal the sick but only those who are sick in ways you find acceptable.” It’s hard stuff. Regardless of whether an individual is an addict using street drugs, a correctional officer exposed to opioids in the course of his or her work or someone’s grandmother who makes a simple medication error, each person who suffers an opioid overdose is someone’s mother, father, daughter, son, cousin, friend…, and each person is a beloved child of God, made in His image and likeness and deserving of love. Sometimes “love one another” and “heal the sick” involves loving people and helping people until they can be open to letting God love and help them, and until they can love and help themselves. That’s a useful job. |
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