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A few thoughts about
It is a fact that many christians truly believe in something which is akin to Heather's poem, quoted on the second page of these thoughts about healing. It sure seems to be biblical enough. But it is not the only point of view in the Bible. After all, the Bible is a library, not a book, and there are many points of view to be found in it. Job's friends and comforters, all good people and not to be sneezed at, were of the opinion that God was teaching Job something, or that Job was not as good as he thought he was, or that there was some guilt there. It is also verifiable that regular meditation has a measurable effect on the endrocrine system. Not just increased feelings of wellbeing, but increased physical sensitiveity. It is also a fact that many deeply spiritual and good people become ill, and stay that way, long term. It is almost a cliche that some of the greatest healers in the world have been wounded themselves. By his wounds we are healed. Remember ? And it seems that Jesus, even when resurrected still bore those wounds. But what kind of healing is this ? Surely there must be an end in sight to suffering ? In the Gospel we read of many healings. Many of them spectacular. It seems that he healed all who came to him and that the disciples were also gifted in this way. I suppose when it comes to Jesus, we can't call them 'strangers' to him, for he saw into their hearts. But the disciples weren't so gifted in that department. Some were to be healed by prayer and fasting and all were declared to be suffering, not because of their sin or their parent's sin, but 'that the glory of God might be revealed. But it was in a book by Benson that I found the first hint of a possible answer. The book is called Joy - and I read it when I was working at a 'mental institution' many years ago. Jesus had been travelling through Galilee, healing everone who asked, or was brought to him for healing. Then came a moment, the last straw moment for Peter, one of his closest friends. The miraculous haul of fish. And Peter, convinced of his own sin and worthlessness, unable to see himself ever being good enough to bear 'this man's' company, goes down on his knees in the boat and cries out in human anguish, "Go away ! I am a sinner" You can't tell me that Jesus wasn't perfectly capable of saying "I will, be healed", or even "Your sin is forgiven", but he said neither. Much grief might have been spared Jesus himself if he had. What he did say was,
For Peter then, healing was to be part of the journey, the grievous personal dis-ease was to be part of his companionship with Jesus. For the deeper relationships, the instant healing was just not enough. As Jesus is in suffering as he did, left no place so miserable that he couldn't say with perfect truth that he knows what we go through and is there already with us, so his friends bear the same burden. If they can still lift their heads and praise him from such dreadful places, still trust his forgiveness and his from such awful pain, then so can we. Perhaps that is why we insist it is their own fault they suffer. We are afraid that we too may be asked to be the light in the darkness, the light which can never be turned out. To offer our pain as we offer our lives, to his use, in his service. It is hard to be loving when you
are in pain. Everything in you concentrates on the pain, there is nothing
else.
Just as I am,
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