Good Friday means you don’t have to suffer anymore.  While following your dream – God’s vision for you – may entail sacrifice, it is not demanded, nor does God desire that you suffer to find healing and wholeness.  Jesus came that we might have life in its abundance.  While we may choose to sacrifice (and choice is key)  for the well-being of others, for example, we go to the pharmacy at 3:00 a.m. for our child or partner or spend... Read more

Mark 6:53-56 states that all who touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment were healed, regardless of the disease. While this might imply some sort of magic or supernaturalism, the point of this passage is that God responds to every situation of pain and illness, whether of mind, body, spirit, or relationships. God seeks abundant life for all of us, and perhaps just a little faith, touching the fringe of Christ’s garment, can transform our lives. Our faith is not omnipotent... Read more

Today, many people suffer from hurry sickness. Their attitude toward time is literally killing them. Many of us multi-task, go from project to project, make ourselves available 24/7, and don’t know how to let go of our tasks when we’re off duty. Hurry, or time sickness, is a matter of attitude; it is also a spiritual issue. Mark 6:30-46 describes a rhythm of action and contemplation as an antidote to burnout, brown out, and compassion fatigue. The passage contains a... Read more

Healing is all about celebration. It’s about being freed to live joyfully and abundantly. This is the point of the conclusion of the story of the healing of Jairus’ daughter. “Jesus told them to give her something to eat.” Now, let’s be real here. Jesus didn’t just request unleavened bread; in a time of great joy, you eat celebrative food. Spirituality is not about being dour; nor is healing about solemnity. It is about wonder, awe, praise, and celebration. In... Read more

An African proverb says that “it takes a village to raise a child.” It also takes a village to experience healing and wholeness. There are no self-made persons or rugged individualists. While agency and creativity vary from person to person, each of us emerges from a many-faceted universe that supplies the majority of materials for our personal transformation. Our freedom is always conditioned and shaped by our environment. Some environments are more or less conducive to nurturing freedom and innovation.... Read more

Medical research and personal experience alike proclaim the importance of faith and a positive attitude in health and healing. Researchers have long spoken of both the placebo and nocebo effects. In both cases, belief shapes biology, for good or for ill. Positive attitudes enhance the immune system and promote well-being. Negative attitudes can depress the immune system and make us more susceptible to illness. This is the meaning of the “faith factor” in healing and wholeness. In the story of... Read more

Sometimes life overwhelms us. Our inner life and external circumstances appear battered by storms about which we seem to have little control. Our boat – our self, our sense of direction and purpose – may seem to be sinking. But, we are never alone. Christ is with us in the storms of life. As I read the story of the storm at sea (Mark 4:35-41), I see the boat as a symbol of our “self” or “ego.” But, notice that... Read more

Mark 3: 7-12 speaks of unclean spirits shouting to Jesus, “You are the Son of God.” Now, I am not sure what I think of unclean spirits. In the first century, illness was attributed to a number of causes: punishment, God’s activity, and the action of evil spirits. Whether or not you are a fan of “The Exorcist” or believe in the reality of evil spirits, we know that there are spiritual factors at work in health and illness. Unconscious... Read more

Today, I’m taking a brief break from Mark to explore a theme raised by one of my readers, based on the question, “what does it mean to bless?” While there is no one meaning of “blessing,” I will share a twenty-first century vision, embracing both pluralism and post-modernism, welcoming to Christians, persons from other faiths, and seekers. I believe that to bless is to seek wholeness for another. It is to internally and implicitly as well as, at times, externally... Read more

A man with a ‘withered” hand comes to Jesus, seeking healing and wholeness (Mark 3:1-6). We don’t know what his ailment really was (could it have been arthritis or some form of paralysis or nerve damage), but it had changed his life for the worse and limited his opportunities. His ailment was not life-threatening, but it was life-diminishing. Jesus’ counsel is simple, “Come forward…stretch out your hand.” And, this man is cured, not just physically but spiritually. He is restored... Read more