a sacred sickness

Quote of the day: "We are not what we eat, but what comes out of our mouths when we speak."

The other day she called me on the verge of hysterics. I stopped the ringing with my usual, serious-toned "Hello?" She, without missing a beat, hit me with the question: "Are you healthy? Please tell me you're not sick..." You see, she has had a few people that are dear to her become rather ill and unpleasant just over the past couple of days; she wanted me to be the one person that she did not have to worry about and pray for to get better and to be healed. Of course I, both out of sincerity and compassion, replied that I was physically well and that I would live to see many more days (days that I'd hope to spend with her, of course). It was a very short conversation, but a very meaningful one. It was a conversation that caused my mind to think of so many different things, people, situations, and events that I too have experienced and been around.

But mostly it caused my brain to grasp onto one solid concept...we are ALL sick.

As human beings, we are exposed and vulnerable to the entire world that surrounds us; thus, we have the possiblity of becoming physically ill and handicapped. Some may become sick by choice, such as through eating disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.; while others fall victim to sickness and pain through other factors including (but not limited to): genetics, weather conditions, surroundings, etc. (things that are clearly out of our personal control). Some immune systems are stronger than others; some eyes have 20/20 vision while others couldn't see (as my cowboy younger brother would say) 'the broad side of a barn'; some have working limbs while others struggle with no legs or hands or feet or arms; in laymen's terms, there is no one in the history of human existence that has not be susceptible to becoming a victim to the monster named sickness.

However, I do not wish to talk about physical sickness: for as we are all sick physically, we are all more sick spiritually than anything else. As we are born into this world: innocent, naive, and full of life, we, little by little, begin to sicken our souls with sin, blemish, and the not-so-triumphant spiritual spiral downwards. One of the main purposes for life is to become agents unto ourselves: that we must learn to love good and to hate evil. We are promised reward for good actions, thoughts, and words. We are also promised repremand and remorse for every evil act, thought, and word that we choose to produce. Let me help you by painting in your mind a more simpler mental picture:

In the second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Stanek, practiced a very common "Good Behavior = Good Reward" type of behavioral system. For each good thing that we did in class, whether it be to help stack up the chairs after class or to gather the germ-infested jig-saw puzzles into nice and complete stacks on the west side of the room, we were given a gold star to place next to our names on a giant chart that was thumb-tacked to the wall by the main door. After a certain number of golden stars, we had the opportunity to reach into her bag of prizes to receive compensation for our good behavior. However, if you were to behave badly in class for whatever reason, gold stars would be taken from next to your name and your progress would suddenly become shortened. It is the same idea in life: God is watching our every move and we are, or will someday be compensated for every good act that we perform. With each unrighteous desire and action toward sin, we become distanced from God and from his bag of prizes. We slowly slip away until we feel that there is no hope of us ever being able to delight in the good feelings that must come from reaching our hands into that bag and pulling out the most incredible prizes ever imagined.

It is in this aspect that I wish to make clear that: WE ARE ALL SICK.

"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17)

Now, it's time to practice simple mathematics: If we are all sick (meaning that we are all sinners in one way or another) and those who are sick are in need of a physician (Christ) and Jesus came to call the sinners (the sick) to repentance...then who do we need? what is it that we need to do in order to become healed of our sicknesses (sins)?

There is not, and will never be a person who will not suffer spiritual sickness. There is only one anticdote, one perscription, one form of healing that all must eventually take upon themselves: we must come unto Christ, our mighty Physician, and He will make us whole. It is entirely our choice how many gold stars we get placed next to our name. It is our choice to go to the Holy and Divine Doctor and give ourselves to him that he may make us healthy and whole.

Now, from time to time, I tend to self-evaluate my life, my actions, thoughts and deeds by asking myself: Are you healthy? If not, what do you need to do to become healthy?

I would encourage doing the same:

"Are you healthy?"

He would encourage doing the same:

"Are you healthy? Please tell me that you're not sick. Come unto me and I will make you whole."

Evaluate. Diganose. Come. And be Healed.

Here's to a memorable Easter.

Here's to becoming whole through Christ...



Cheers.