A miracle unfolds

I have recently found myself almost forced to reflect on one of Jesus' miracles, as it is described in Mark 7:31-37. I admit that I prefer to reflect on parables.
I am interested in healing, but miraculous cures? I suppose that I have always accepted that the miracles of Jesus are beyond explanation and my understanding and left it at that. According to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the Bible is not 'an inspired supernatural guide for individual conduct or a piece of detached historical record'. In a lecture of his that I have read recently he goes on to say that the context of the Bible is to call together and incorporate a Christian community. So I feel precarious in reflecting here as I do.

The miracle is performed during the first or Galilean part of Jesus' ministry, when the vast majority of His miracles were documented and we are led to believe were actually performed. The afflicted man was brought to Jesus by friends or relatives as so often happened. Jesus then took the man away from the crowd to somewhere private and some disciples were with him. The afflicted man was a deaf man, hardly able to speak. Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears then spat or put saliva on his fingers and touched the man's tongue. He looked to heaven and groaned or sighed. He then spoke the word 'Ephphatha' interpreted as 'be opened'. Mark then declares that he was able to speak plainly implying that he was cured. Jesus then urged the man and the disciples with him not to tell everyone what had happened.

There are three things about this story which particularly fascinate me at present..Firstly that Jesus uses his saliva, secondly that he takes trouble to keep the miracle a secret and thirdly that he 'looks at heaven' before the cure is commanded.

I have read somewhere that the act of using saliva was to moisten the mouth of a man whose mouth was dry due to the heat of the day and through dissent of attempts to speak. However, just before He uses saliva, He puts His fingers into the man's ears. Now I put my fingers in my ears when I don't want to hear. So fascinated though I am by this process, I have to accept that Jesus did not offer olive oil at the last supper to represent his saliva. Although oil is used to anoint. I also understand that to use touch to reach out to someone who could neither hear nor speak was a sensitive act of engagement in itself. Then of course he cured him completely as well.

The attempt to keep this miraculous act a secret was I suppose not to appear as a travelling magician and distract from The Good News. However, the story of what happens appears in Mark's gospel. Is it then ok to know of it now? In fact numerous have had the opportunity to read or hear about what happened and many other miracles that Jesus asked to be kept secret. I can only assume that it is allowed to be meaningful now to us, with our very lucky hindsight.

The most significant aspect of the story which I am challenged by is when Jesus 'looks to heaven' before giving the curative command. This can be interpreted as looking up at the sky, but I believe that for Jesus to look at heaven whilst on earth is so much more. My limited explanation is that he 'saw' God and the angels in their place with His inner eye and shut the ungodly worldy part out. Much in the same way that we ourselves SEE or HEAR the truth of the Good News (if we do!) Perhaps this then would clarify the act of putting fingers in ears. It could have been representative of shutting out the world, to facilitate a channel for God to reach him.

I am sorry if my thoughts sound like meaningless pontification. I do not expect to be performing a curative miracle on anybody, even though I feel it may be an ultimate goal of faith. In my limited way I hope that I may too approach the afflicted with the same consideration and certainty to help them. How blessed I feel also to be born of this time in a world where I may access and read the Bible when so many cannot read or observe or have observed the oral tradition, sometimes in a foreign language. How blessed I am to have the internet to assist my reflection and share it. And may I also be able to 'look at heaven' when I am called to do work for God. (Amen)

In Luke 7:36-39, I have read the story of the woman who wept on the feet of Jesus, dried it with her hair, then anointed His feet with perfume.
Why would she dry his feet with her hair?
If she could afford or obtain perfume, then why not also some sort of cloth or towel as well?
I should imagine trying to dry something with your hair is pretty inefficient, so I have spent some time trying to understand, because random things come up for me to reflect upon! What is the cultural idiom? In John 12 v.3, one of the Mary's also anoints the feet of Jesus and wipes his feet with her hair. This is following the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and this Mary may be his sister..
Perhaps then, it isn't that a cloth is lacking, it isn't wanted perhaps. Using hair to dry feet is...an affectionate act? I recently learnt that due to Jewish Law, it is unlikely that Jesus had long hair, because the women had long hair and the men cut their hair at the back. So if women had long hair, then long hair was representative of femininity.
Keen to dig deeper, I may have flown off at a tangent studying information on the internet regarding biblical euphemisms and the significance of hair and feet in the Bible. I found it quite fascinating, but then felt that no new information was relevant. I did see the justification for Simon the Pharisee to be outraged at the unknown woman's actions as it could be contrued as a highly suggestive act. However, this woman wept, and Jesus defended her, speaking of debt of sin and repentance.
When Mary did the same, this was seen as an affectionate thanks, but the unknown woman had taken the step of approaching Jesus amongst a group of other men at the dinner party of a respected religious man to make this approach that could be construed as, well, inappropriate. But of course, something was more important.
Ding! This woman heard the call, and nothing else mattered. I know in the future that I may reflect again on this gesture of loving repentance which came before the crucifiction. At present I see this person acting because she heard and understood the proclamation of The Word given by Jesus at this time. In a modern context, it is one thing to believe, or even to say 'maybe' like an agnostic, but to feel called by God to say sorry and really mean it out of deep love. That is the step that a person should make to start their relationship with God.
May be that sounds obvious, but this woman represents a calling from God that touched the heart, rather than brainwashing mob mentality of mass evangelism with an altar call or collapse with a forehead touch.

Irregular Religious Idiot

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Lennon/_/Imagine



"Are you religious?!" asked my guest, mouth open. I found myself replying "Yes, I'm religious" although the word 'religious' is one I never use to describe myself. I think I know what the person meant by their question, and that the word 'religious' was used as a very general polite term. I wasn't asked ' Are you one of those pain-in-the-butt Christians?'
I remember the day I was asked very clearly and the question I was asked wasn't the most important thing that happened that day. I had spent the day with friends and family involved in a Christian rite of passage, in a cathedral where some guests had travelled from far away to attend. I didn't expect anyone to ask about something that seemed like a done deal.
Yes, the word 'religious' is one I never use to describe myself as I said, but why ever not?
Is it John Lennon's fault (no grudge here!)? He who penned the brilliant 'Imagine' song asking people to imagine that there were no differences between us, no threats, etc '...and no religion too' Religion is a cause of division amongst us. Apparently, according to some, it causes more wars than anything else.
I feel fairly sure that John Lennon, in that song, was singing about togetherness, and end to war and promotion of peace. I suppose that I also feel that our desire to belong to a religion isn't exactly a cause for war. I think religion is used as a lousy excuse for aggression. It is a human choice to believe that 'god' wants me to kill you/torture you/force you to do something. In my mind, it has nothing to do with a loving God.
Who was it, not Lennon, that said 'Love one another as I have loved you'?
I don't think He was being polite and general. Was this about togetherness, an end to war and promotion of peace? Well, of course, you know I think that. It's about a brotherhood of man and I think something else...
Anyway, since that was said centuries ago, how is mankind getting on with this comandment? Could the song 'Imagine' be a reaction to our collective failure among the tryers, the dismissive, the distracted, the deliberate and the doubters throughout history? Well, I love John Lennon's song like many other people. He himself at the time declared 'Imagine' to be 'anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional [and] anti-capitalistic'. He seems an archetype rebel and that feels good to me.
So I suppose in declaring myself 'religious' however awkwardly, what am I saying? Who am I in my belief and what should my answer have been?

I had a dream about the up and coming confirmation service. I dreamed that all the candidates were required to lie on marble slabs completely covered with a canvas sheet. Underneath which we were unable to see anything, but were to listen for our cue and slowly sit up at the right moment allowing the canvas to slip to the floor. Then we would get up and walk over to somewhere else in the cathedral. On the day, in my dream, I lay beneath my sheet motionlessly on my slab and could not make out the sounds outside. Panicking that I had missed my cue, I suddenly sat up flinging the sheet off. None of the others were there. They had already left. I had missed my cue, been left behind and now did not know where to go to find everyone else. At that point I awoke with a start.

Of course, in the light of day, my dream seemed ridiculous and I joked about how silly it was. I am aware that I do suffer with anxiety and usually in dreams. Mostly I dream about misplacing or losing L, sometimes about losing my family or G. Yes, anxiety. I get anxious and there it is. It is not at all my friend causing me to worry and engage in stupid, inappropriate and wrong behaviour.

Now I was reluctant to make an early post on my new blog about something so negative, hence the short delay. However, I know that God is trying to tell me something as he urged me to reflect on this.

Today, in our garden, my little L, knowing orange is my favourite colour, urged me to photograph an orange flower that had just blossomed. I first took a hopeless out of focus shot after prematurely clicking the button. I then re-shot and took quite a good picture, with the light and shade making it look quite beautiful, I thought. I nearly deleted the first shot, but stopped because I felt a comparisom. Things don't look beautiful unless you can 'see' them clearly.

I did not know what the 5am confirmation service would be like. I did not know what was ahead or whether I would be able to get up in time that morning! Luckily, we all did have a rehearsal. So we did have a little insight into what would happen. More importantly, N and P and the other candidates would never have left me behind anywhere during the service. When I could see things clearly, my confirmation was an act of love amongst other loving people. The service itself was about 2 hours long, but it was very enjoyable and did not drag. I relaxed and it was a beautiful experience.

I know I am not alone in suffering this negative emotion of anxiety. May God give me patience to wait until all is seen and understood, and not to worry so when all is out of focus.

Dear Bishop Brian,
My name is Sharon Jones. I am 42 and have worked as a nurse for most of my adult life.
I have decided to get confirmed now because I want to shed past resentment. I have found Rochester Cathedral and the people within to be full of compassion and love. I have found a safe place to hear the call to return and go in a new direction.
Sharon Jones

(Confirmation letter of explanation to The Bishop of Tonbridge requested from all new communicants Easter 2010.)

New Blog

Do I have anything of interest to say to anyone? Soon see I guess