Sunshine: God's Doctor Then and Now

As many of you know, I have long been passionate about the importance of vitamin D and ensuring that we receive adequate exposure to direct sunlight on our skin. If we cannot obtain sufficient sunlight, then supplementation becomes necessary. This is particularly relevant in the United Kingdom, where for much of the year we are not exposed to the UVB rays required for the body to produce vitamin D naturally.

Recently, I was interested to read about a project at King's College Hospital in London, where critically ill patients are being taken onto a specially designed roof garden. These are patients who have spent days, weeks, and sometimes months in intensive care, many requiring ventilators and complex medical support. The purpose of the project is simple: to allow patients access to fresh air, natural light, and sunshine.

As I read the article, I was immediately reminded of an interview I had recently watched on The Diary of a CEO with Dr Roger Seheult. Dr Seheult is a specialist in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care, and sleep medicine, spending much of his professional life caring for seriously ill patients. During the interview, he spoke passionately about the importance of sunlight, vitamin D, circadian rhythms, and the profound effect that natural light has on human health.

As I listened to him, I found myself reflecting on how closely many of his observations echoed principles that I had first encountered in the health writings of Ellen White. I do not know whether Dr Seheult has ever read Ellen White's writings on health. However, I was struck by how many of the conclusions he draws from modern medical research closely parallel principles that Ellen White was writing about more than 160 years ago. Whilst their starting points may be different, their messages regarding sunlight, fresh air, physical activity, and the healing power of nature are remarkably similar.

In one of her earliest writings on health, published in 1864, Ellen White wrote:

"Shade trees and shrubbery too close and dense around the house are unhealthy; for they prevent a free circulation of air, and prevent the rays of the sun from shining through sufficiently." [1]

She later described sunlight as one of Heaven's greatest blessings, writing that the sun is God's doctor, bringing health and strength, purifying and enriching the blood. She also observed that many invalids deprived themselves unnecessarily of sunshine.

One statement has always stood out to me:

"There are but few who realize that in order to enjoy health and cheerfulness, they must have an abundance of sunlight, pure air, and physical exercise." [2]

How remarkable that a modern NHS hospital is now investing significant resources into providing critically ill patients with access to the very things that were being recommended more than a century and a half ago.

What particularly interested me was that Dr Seheult was not simply talking about vitamin D. He explained that sunlight influences sleep, hormones, mood, immune function, and overall wellbeing. He discussed how modern lifestyles keep many of us indoors for most of the day and how this separation from the natural environment may be contributing to a range of health problems. Reading about King's College Hospital's roof garden for critically ill patients felt like a practical demonstration of many of the principles he was describing.

For many years of my professional life, I spent my time working in hospitals, clinics, offices, and travelling between appointments. Like many healthcare professionals, I would leave home before sunrise during the winter and return after sunset spending most of the day indoors. Looking back, I now realise that my lifestyle was causing me to become increasingly deficient in vitamin D. At the time I did not recognise what was happening, but my body was crying out for sunlight.

As a public health specialist working I followed the dominant public health message that we should avoid the sun whenever possible. Campaigns encouraged people to cover up, stay out of direct sunlight, and apply sunscreen routinely. As a woman of African-Caribbean heritage, I followed that advice. I spent less time in the sun, used sunscreen regularly, and believed I was doing the right thing.

Today, my perspective is different.

Whilst excessive, intemperance, sun exposure can be harmful, I believe many people have become unnecessarily fearful of sunlight. We were created to live in harmony with the natural world, not separated from it. Sensible exposure to sunshine remains one of the most powerful foundations of health. Without sunlight we die...yes it may take years but ultimately death will occur.

The growing concern regarding widespread vitamin D deficiency was brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that people from Black, African-Caribbean, South Asian, and other ethnic minority communities experienced disproportionately severe outcomes from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. At the same time, these groups are also known to be at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, particularly in northern countries such as the UK, where sunlight capable of producing vitamin D is limited for much of the year.[3]

The pandemic highlighted a fact that had already been recognised for many years: vitamin D deficiency is common, particularly amongst those with darker skin living in northern climates, and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is an important aspect of good health.

What struck me most about the King's College Hospital project was not simply the science. It was the recognition that healing requires more than machines, medications, and medical procedures. Human beings need hope. We need fresh air. We need nature. We need sunlight.

From Ellen White's health writings in 1864, to modern research into vitamin D deficiency, to a critical care specialist speaking on one of the world's most popular podcasts, and now to an NHS hospital taking ventilated patients outdoors into the sunshine, the message seems remarkably consistent. Sunshine is not merely something pleasant; it is an essential component of human health. Perhaps we have spent too long fearing one of God's greatest gifts and not enough time learning how to use it wisely.

The Bible itself reminds us:

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." (Malachi 4:2)

Perhaps there is more wisdom in that verse than we sometimes realise.

Putting These Principles Into Practice

At Manna House Health Education & Wellness, we are passionate about helping people experience these timeless principles of health for themselves.

At Manna House Health Education & Wellness, we are passionate about helping people experience these timeless principles of health for themselves.

Whether you join us for one of our residential Restore or Refresh retreats, attend one of our weekend wellbeing events, or participate in our Medical Missionary Training Programme, our aim is to help individuals and families reconnect with the foundations of health that God has provided.

At our programmes, guests have the opportunity to experience many of the natural remedies that have stood the test of time, including fresh air, sunlight, physical activity, wholesome plant-based nutrition, rest, hydrotherapy, practical health education, and the encouragement of a supportive community.

For those seeking a deeper understanding of health ministry, our Medical Missionary Training Programme equips individuals with practical skills and knowledge to become effective health missionaries in their homes, churches, and communities.

In a world where many people spend their lives indoors, disconnected from nature and increasingly burdened by chronic illness, we believe there is tremendous value in returning to God's original plan for health and wellbeing.

If you would like to learn more about our upcoming retreats, weekend events, health education programmes, or Medical Missionary Training, we would be delighted to welcome you to Manna House.

As the summer months arrive, let us make the most of God's natural remedies. Spend time outdoors. Walk in the sunshine. Breathe deeply of fresh air. Allow the sunlight to touch your skin. Your body, mind, and spirit may be healthier for it.

[1] Citation: White, E. G. Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4a Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, (1864) Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org/book/b107

[2]Ellen Gould White April 1,1871; "Spring Has Come" THE HEALTH REFORMER

[3] Front Public Health. 2021 Jan 22;8:613462. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.613462