Healing Power

(Note: Today’s post is from guest blogger Rev. Mary Ramerman, our former pastor of Spiritus Christi. She continues to write and lead reflection groups when she’s not engaged with her grandchildren.)

March 15

John 4:43-54

            Jesus is healing again. This time it is the Roman Official who comes to beg Jesus for healing of his son.  I wonder what that was like for both of them.  The Romans were oppressing the Jewish people; they are enemies.  Now one comes to ask Jesus to heal his son.  What does Jesus feel?  Will he help this man?  And what does the Roman official experience as he humbles himself to seek the help of a Jewish man? 

            Jesus listens to the request of the Roman official.  His response is delayed only briefly by his comment about people needing signs in order to believe.  I wonder how long my initial reaction would be before I responded.  Would I have more feelings, make more judgments, ask more questions? Jesus listens to his request undeterred by their differences.  The Roman man is also attentive; he believes in Jesus.  He is persistent and repeats his request a second time.   He receives Jesus’ answer and leaves trusting that his son is healed.  Both are attentive to each other; they are connected.

            What brings these two men together?  Is it the sick child?  Or is something else drawing them to each other?   We are conditioned to think that our actions are the only force that’s moving us in the world.  If you are reading this, you probably think that’s it’s on your own initiative that you are here.  But what if there are other forces that are acting on you as well?  Maybe it’s not just your initiative.  Maybe God is leading you here.  Maybe God is working with you on something.  Perhaps Jesus was pulling the Roman official to him. There’s a philosopher who said if a stone could think, it would think it was crossing the river because it wanted to, instead of us throwing it across the water.  Perhaps there’s more happening than we are aware of.

            When we are mindful of someone, when we are aware, one word or one action or even one thought can be healing and loving to the other person. Teenagers tell us how meaningful it is to them when somebody sits down and is interested in their perspective.  An elderly person shares what it means to have someone come and spend time together with him.  A small child gravitates toward the person who smiles at her and is interested in the toy she is playing with.  When someone really cares about what’s going on in our life, it is very healing.

             Sometimes it’s not the words that are healing.  A woman named Janice lost her husband at an early age and often told stories about his dying process. She always mentioned the priest that came to visit her during that time. She said, “I’ll just never forget it. He said just the right thing to me. He had such wisdom. I’ve clung to his words for years.”

After a while, her friend asked her, “What exactly did the priest say?”

“He said, ‘these things happen.’”

            Sometimes it’s not the words, right? You don’t have to be especially articulate or eloquent or wise.  “These things happen.”  It wasn’t about the words.  He was present. He was mindful. His love was conveyed in the time he spent with her. 

            As we become more mindful of our actions and our thoughts, it helps us to grow spiritually. We have things we do and say every day that we’re not aware of. If we really want to know how we come across, we should ask our friends because they’re often more aware of our actions than we are! One time, I had a man come in for pastoral counseling. He was having a hard time at work and had quit his job. He felt the people there were too hard on him. I asked him if he had ever felt that way before.   He said, “Well, yes, I did in my first job.” He told me a story about it. Then he told another story from his second job.  And then one about the difficult people in his third job.  He relayed stories about the people from his last seven jobs!   When he finished talking, he said, “Gosh, I wonder if it’s something about me and not the other people?  Am I the one who carries the anger?” And that was a wonderful moment because, in that moment, he became mindful of himself. He became aware of himself. It’s important to be gentle with ourselves in this process. Just desiring mindfulness is enough to begin the process of healing.

            Jesus, today, let me be mindful of how our words and actions are healing to others. 

Teach me to be aware of how another person’s thoughtfulness is healing me.