'herefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
(2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV)
In one way or another, from one's own experience or that of a relative, sooner or later life puts us in front of some hard battle in having to face an illness. Thus we find ourselves having to deal with the diagnosis of a rare disease or of a certain seriousness, during which you give the bottom of all your faith by invoking a miracle. With the passing of time, the progress of the disease undermines our certainties and we begin to ask why God does not work, even knowing that his will is sovereign and he works as he wants. The dilemma remains because sometimes the Lord heals and sometimes He doesn't. This is a difficult question, which can (and must) be answered with honest faith, capable of recognizing that he is God beyond the answer to our prayers. As long as we have the chance, we pray and believe that God can, and we do it to the end. But when "nothing" happens (according to our wishes) we are calm that he knows what is best. How not to turn a thought, however, to those who are spending themselves alongside a disabled, paralyzed relative, to those who are pouring out the best of themselves to those in need of assistance... or to those who have already seen a relative pass away, a friend and still does not still manage to accept it.
It will certainly affect our belief and what has been imparted to us in terms of faith will affect our actions for good or bad as well as our reactions. I cannot fail to take into consideration the fact that the absolute abandonment to the possibilities of God capable of guaranteeing miraculous healings has led to rather questionable and in some cases deleterious forms of extremism: think of the aversion to any medical treatment in the treatment of diseases or the misplaced insistence on the pursuit of miraculous healing at all costs. The panorama of faith is teeming with self-styled preachers, who argue that behind every ailment there is always a spiritual reality, denying with the ham on the eyes that even if some infirmities originate in situations of sin (think of the infirmities deriving from abuse and addictions various), others are daughters of our wicked action. As a result, there are those who see disease as a form of divine curse or punishment, ignoring the sufferings suffered by those who from the origins preceded us on the journey of faith.
It might sound cruel, but as has already been done elsewhere, I don't hesitate to admit that God doesn't always heal. Yes, I believe in miracles, I have always believed in the promises of the Bible, otherwise I would not be a biblical believer. But I try to be objective. I believe that God listens to our prayers (always!), But that he uses the stove of affliction at his discretion to refine us beyond our understanding. Don't ask me for explanations about it, I don't have any! He is God, however. Who am I to question him about his actions? Only one of the many who is passing through here, "lent to this world" as a dear minister of the Gospel loved to declare. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:16 was well encouraged. Unfortunately, the truth is that we struggle to realize that our goal is Heaven. We declare that Jesus went ahead to prepare a place for us to welcome us, that he shed his blood so that we could receive salvation and eternal life, but then we want at all costs and in every way to prolong our earthly journey of pilgrims. Here, if the exterior goes into ruin, we must make sure that the interior is renewing itself and preparing for the big day.
If you are crossing the avenue of disease in more or less similar circumstances and you feel the fire of affliction, I lovingly advise you not to try to understand why or how. It will not be the best for some, but who knows that we should not learn from Paul, even if with difficulty and over time, to recognize that sometimes his grace is enough for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).
(Excerpt from the introduction of my next book "Credo ai miracoli", BE Edizioni)
Weekly Bible Reading
Plan # 37
September 06, Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15: 29-58
September 07, Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16
September 08, Proverbs 3-5; 2 Corinthians 1
September 09, Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2
September 10, Proverbs 8-9; 2Corinths 3
September 11, Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4
September 12, Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5
Photo by Piotr Lewandowski, www.freeimages.com