Loading...Later this month, I will attend the annual investiture of the American branch of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights Hospitaller). There will be much parading around and mildly preposterous ceremony (my sister once described it as “investment bankers in capes”). But behind all that is a genuine work of the Gospel – restoring sight to the blind.
The Hospitallers began as a kind of medieval EMT brigade. They were monks or religious brothers who worked at a hospital (hence the name) in Jerusalem that provided care to pilgrims visiting the city. Medieval Jerusalem being a pretty tough place, they were sometimes obliged to defend themselves and others, and over time this martial part of their mission became more pronounced.
By the 16th Century, they had moved from Palestine to Cyprus, then Rhodes, and finally to Malta. In fact, some of their descendant groups are still called Knights of Malta. But the group that I am part of came into being in the 19th Century in Britain, when a craze for all things medieval and a genuine impulse to address major social problems came together.
The early work of the Order of St John was very much a return to medieval roots – they organized ambulance services around Britain, and then expanded this mission to the other parts of the British Empire. To this day, most emergency ambulance coverage and first aid training in Britain and many British Commonwealth countries is provided by the Order.
But in addition to this, the Order also returned to its geographic roots. In 1882, the St John Ophthalmic Hospital was opened near Bethlehem, in what is now the territory of the Palestinian Authority. Since then, the hospital has grown into a group of clinics and inpatient facilities which provide the only charitable eye care in the West Bank and Gaza.
And the need is great. Rates of blindness in the area of the Palestinian Authority are 10 times those in Israel, Europe, and the United States. As much as 15% of the Palestinian population is diabetic, a major risk factor for eye problems. The Middle East is also affected by mechanical irritants (blowing dust), vitamin deficiencies, and parasites, all of which can affect vision.
The results of treating these conditions can be transformative to individuals and to society. It is estimated that by 2020, the annual economic cost in the Middle East of impaired vision will have reached $6.8 billion. On the human scale, problems with eyesight can mean the loss of a job, inability to help in caring for children and other family members, and loss of the most basic human dignity. Restoration of eyesight can change that picture almost overnight.
As important as this work is, it is not easy. About 20% of would-be patients in the West Bank and a third in Gaza are unable to get permits to enter the Jerusalem area for medical care. The satellite clinic in Gaza is in an area that has been shelled more than once. Even the movement of medical personnel and supplies is cumbersome and subject to periodic blockades.
And it all takes money. In 2016, the US branch of the Order of St John sent nearly $2.3 million to support Eye Hospital operations and organized visits by US physicians and other clinical personnel. If that is what a few capes and some ceremony can produce, I’m all for doing more of it.
Blessings
Howie+
