The gospel deals with healings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Jesus with us today to heal all the sicknesses and illnesses that surround us? Well in a sense we are all called to be healers, Maybe not bringing someone back to life like Jesus did, but healers indeed.
You have the potential to heal people around you. I can summarize the healings into 5 categories, which I call the 5 T’s: touch, time, transparency, teamwork and testimony.
TOUCH. Just as Jesus touched the young girl in the gospel by taking her hand, or the woman simply touches Jesus’s garments, and she is healed . . . so can you. You know when we have a sore, our first instinct is to rub it. Or when a child comes crying to a parent about an “owie” she/he rubs it or kisses it.
Touch is wonderful. A study published this year in the British journal THE GUARDIAN reported on research covering 212 studies involving nearly 13,000 people concluded that physical touch (from a handshake to a hug) can bring significant benefits for both mind and body, lessening depression, anxiety and even pain. The study found that the type or duration wasn’t important, but the frequency was. Now, of course we are talking about good and appropriate touch. So get out there and hug, shake hands and offer a pat on the back. Your touch may be what the other needs to feel better.
TIME. Simply being with a person who is in pain is so beneficial. And you don’t have to say any great words of wisdom or funny stories. Just show up. And offer quality time, that is put your phones away. You kids, if you want to have more friends, it won’t be because of your posts, it's you being present. Go visit that person you’ve been thinking about, make that call (not just text them). And here’s a good one . . . actually look at them, in the eyes. You couples, go on that date you’ve been meaning to do.
Last Sunday, I was with a friend who was dying. I went to see her at the hospital. I held her hand. We didn’t talk much but she knew I was present. Did I heal her? No, she died on Monday . . . but I’ve got to believe that my presence (and others) helped her to let go and die peacefully.
TRANSPARENCY. This is simply being honest. No BS. Sometimes that biggest hurts come from the half-truths, or the white lies that we tell. If there is someone you know who is hurting, maybe it’s time for you to “fess up” and not pretend anymore, but give them your true self . . . which is full of good points and bad points. “When you lock away your most terrible feelings, you keep them alive and strong. By attending to them, mindfully exploring and acknowledging them, by speaking them aloud in the company of others, we allow them to recede, to fade, and to gradually take up less space in our body and soul.”
I recently went to the movie INSIDE OUT 2. It’s fabulous. If there is one movie to go this summer it’s that one, especially if you are in middle school, or know someone who is. But it’s a movie that all of us can relate to . . . and the absolute power of being real, honest, and transparent.
TEAM WORK. We don’t do life alone. We don’t do healing alone. We need each other. We pray for each other (like in our Parish Prayer Chain, or the prayer list in the bulletin). But many times the healing process can happen when you offer to help out. For example, to watch the dog, get the groceries, take them to the appointment. Bring them communion. bThe goal is for them to know there’s a team to support them. Episcopal Bishop Robert Spong wrote, “Human beings cannot incorporate all that we are into wholeness by ourselves. That community’s focus is to be the place where each person can be nurtured into being. That is the community’s function. That is the work of the church. That is why the church is called the “body of Christ.” The person doesn’t have to bear the illness alone. We are all in this together.
TESTIMONY This refers to your testimony to the person in need. You, go share your story of faith and trust in God. You, don’t be shy but convey to them hope. DON’T LECTURE with “you shoulds.” But tell them how you managed to get through that difficult time in your life. Remember, in the end it will all work out, if it hasn’t worked out yet, it means it is not quite the end.
So you all go out and heal . . . by your touch, your time, your transparency, your teamwork and your testimony.