Jump directly to the Content
Jump directly to the Content

Sermon Illustrations

Home > Sermon Illustrations

Cruelty in Hospital Discharge Sparks Outrage

A viral video sparked national outrage after a bystander took footage of a woman discharged from a hospital in near-freezing weather.

Bystander Imamu Baraka took notice as security guards discharged the patient from the University of Maryland Medical Center's Midtown campus, leaving her at a bus stop wearing only socks and a hospital gown. In the video, the patient appears to suffer from some form of mental illness, at various points screaming and rocking. The video was across various social media platforms and viewed thousands of times.

Baraka, who later identified himself as a psychotherapist, claims she should never have been discharged in the first place. Concerned she might stagger into the street, he eventually stopped filming and called emergency responders to pick her up.

In response to the tide of negative publicity, hospital CEO Dr. Mohan Suntha apologized for hospital staff's failure to display basic human compassion, but denied that her discharge was in any way connected to an inability to pay for care.

Potential Preaching Angles: We will be held accountable for how we treat those with less power. Bad things happen when we prioritize institutions over people. God's kingdom is upside down from the kingdoms of the world.

Related Sermon Illustrations

Arizona Man Saves a Life by Recalling Sitcom Scene

Tire shop technician Cross Scott had no idea his routine test drive for a customer would help save a life. During the test drive, Scott encountered another vehicle with flashing hazard ...

[Read More]

Man Rescues Dozens of Drivers Left Stranded by Winter Storm

Using his chains, ropes, and four-wheel drive, over the course of two days, Ryan Sivley helped rescue about 150 people stranded by the side of the road in Austin, Texas. A brutal winter ...

[Read More]