The Bible gospel writer Mark tells of a woman who had a chronic problem for 12 years. The health care system of her day failed her: it took all of her money, and she was worse off than when she started.

While we spend more than any other developed nation on health care, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to health: higher infant mortality and shorter life span. We are failing, and we are worse off, not better.

Health care reform is in the air, but controversy is threatening to deny needed change. We hear of "socialized medicine," "rationing care," "Medicare cuts," "higher taxes," "nothing like Canada" and the like.

Far too many of us accept those criticisms at face value and make them our own. Not enough of us are taking the time to ask probing questions about them as to whether or not they are true. Most are not.

At the first "Tea Party" I saw a man with a sign with "socialized medicine" on it. I wanted him to define it for me. He couldn't. I've asked others whom I know, and they can't either. The assumption is that we all understand what that is, that it's bad and we don't want it.

"'Taint necessarily so." We are not careful enough about what we do with what we hear these days. We are often in violation of the commandment about not bearing false witness.

Mark's story also tells of the woman touching the garment of Jesus and thereby healed.

Our health care system is increasingly not able to provide an adequate healing touch.

We need a change to make that touch work better and cover those who don't have access to it.