Pioneering women in Health Care
Week 1
Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica the daughter of a creole mother and a Scottish father. Mary was a great traveller and wrote the first book published by a woman of colour. Despite this she was subject to prejudice and rejection in her life. At the outbreak of the first world war Mary was married and living in Essex. She funded herself to go to the Crimea to help and set up hotels for recuperating soldiers from both sides of the conflict. She also rode out to the battlefields with medical supplies. A gala was held in heer honour after the war but her story was largely forgotten until 2016 when a statue in her memory was erected at St Thomas’s Church.
Psalm 147 tells of how God heals the broken hearted and binds their wounds. So we pray this week for those who reach out to others without judgement in difficult circumstances. We thank you for people like Mary who face prejudice and rejection yet have the tenacity to find a way to live out their vocation. We pray that where such discrimination still exists that the light of Gods love will overcome any challenges. We pray for those who work today in challenging situations ,our doctors, nurses and social workers and all who bring healing to others.
