Eric Asiedu, Guest Writer, The Christian Journal
Bronx ranks the least healthy county in New York State – for six years in a row. This must change. The change begins with you and I.
After the inauguration of the Health and Wellness Ministry at Ebenezer Assembly of God’s church last year, the newly formed department partnered with Bronx Lebanon Hospital to launch Creating Healthy Cultures, a grassroots community program that aims to encourage healthy living by tackling cultural myths and beliefs that are prevalent in society and detrimental to our health.
As Christians, we believe our body is a temple of God. As such what we feed this temple is important to both our physical and spiritual health. If we are to be the light in this dark world, we should learn to live the abundant life God has promised. We must break away from certain cultural beliefs that can have negative impact on our well-being and quality of life. In many cultures,
- Weight gain is seen as a sign of prosperity.
- Families do not discuss life insurance because talking about death is a taboo.
- Parents are not saving for their children’s education.
- Parents are not saving for retirement because they believe their children should take care of them in old age.
All these beliefs must go so we can move forward as a community and as a people. Our unique partnership with Bronx Lebanon Hospital equips and empowers members of our Health and Wellness ministry to go out into the community, and educate residents on how to live healthy lifestyles and make healthy choices. We have many programs and activities planned for 2016 including a community health fair in the summer.
This coming Sunday, February 21, join us for the official inauguration of Creating Healthy Cultures at Ebenezer Assembly of God’s church located at 2151 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. The program begins at 11am. Come and join us on the journey to lift the Bronx from the bottom. The Lord will make us “the head and not the tail.” (Deuteronomy 28:13)
Eric Asiedu is a pharmacist and the president of the Health & Wellness Ministry at Ebenezer. He can be reached at erikpatrick@hotmail.com.
Edited by Priscilla Sam, The Christian Journal.
