Author: Clyde Jo Sanchez
Located in: Albuquerque
Submitted: January 30, 2019
Tell us a little about yourself. Clyde and Jo have their undergraduate nursing degrees from Cornell University and their master’s degrees from Yale University. Clyde is a Family Nurse Practitioner; Jo’s degree is in Maternal Newborn Health. Clyde also has a Ph.D. in Health Education from the University of New Mexico. His doctoral dissertation focused on the relationship between the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of wellness. Through her background as a nurse midwife and school nurse, Jo brings the caring and nurturing aspects of a relationship with God to this book. Having grown up in rural New Mexico, gone to school on the east coast, lived in New York City for two years, traveled to India for mission trips, and raised and home schooled seven children, they are able to relate to others in a variety of walks of life.
What was your motivation behind this project? This book is an attempt to pull out some of the truths that God has placed in front of us by looking at our bodies and how they function. We believe that God is very consistent, and the principles that He has applied in making the physical realm are reflective of the spiritual realm and vice versa. In this book we will be looking at the physical body and considering ways in which it is like the spiritual body. As we study the pathophysiology of the physical body, we will see parallels between physical disease/dysfunction and problems in our spiritual lives.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? We are told that our bodies are where God lives, the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is therefore not surprising that our bodies hold a wealth of information that is symbolic of our relationship with God. Throughout scripture, the eyes, ears, and heart are all referred to in a symbolic, metaphorical way. The Bible is filled with analogies and parables that relate the anatomy and physiology of the human body to a person’s spiritual life. We are told that our bodies are both physical and spiritual. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44). God has given mankind the responsibility to rule over and care for His creation (Genesis 1:28). A big part of that responsibility lies in taking care of our physical and spiritual bodies.
Our prayer for you as you read this book, is that you would be encouraged and stimulated to see God and His truths wherever you go and through all the good and bad experiences in your life.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Having worked in health care all our lives, we have consistently been reminded about God’s truths in the Bible. As we have taken care of illness, injury and ways to improve our health and those of our patients we seem to always learn more about God and His truths. Its as if our bodies are designed to scream out the glories of our God and Savior. We started on this journey, writing this book, thinking that we would just write down what God had already taught us, only to discover we are only touching the surface of what we are to learn. We hope that your eyes would be enlightened as you read each chapter!
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Our greatest influence in writing this book was Jesus. He used metaphors and analogies to help us understand spiritual concepts. The writers of the Bible used body parts, anatomy and physiology throughout the bible to help us understand spiritual concepts.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: This book is able to present Truths about God in a way that are understandable to those who are familiar with the human body or studying the human body. Giving this book to others is a great way to introduce those in the medical profession, as well as high school or college students, to God. It is a great handbook for pastors and seminary students and anyone who wants to learn how to discuss spiritual principles in a practical way with others. Each chapter has study questions at the end making it an ideal book for home groups or group Bible studies.
