Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.
~Strong's concordance
The physical needs of the patients that we treated in Bulgaria were great. Many suffered from back pain and knee pain. Some had neurological defecits because of strokes, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, or Parkinson's disease. But these were just the outward, visible signs--these were the reasons that they came to see us. If you looked deeper you would find psychological problems, deep emotional pain, crises of spiritual origin. We had the privilege of addressing the whole person. You can't split a person up and treat only their physical needs while ignoring the other components of who they are. If you read through the gospels you see that Jesus always brought healing to the whole person. He healed their physical and spiritual sicknesses. He brought them shalom healing, and He offers that to each of us today.
Meet Anka. She came to us because she was having trouble walking and getting around after the stroke she had two years ago. As we talked with her she began to tell us a little bit about her life and the disappointments that she had suffered over the years. It became very clear that her greatest problem was not her inability to get around. She told us that she was a Christian and that she sometimes attended the local church, but that she felt that God was punishing her. She sat in front of us and never smiled with eyes that were so full of sorrow. She explained that she just didn't understand why God would let so many bad things happen to her in her life. At one point, she said that sometimes she just prayed that she would just go ahead and die. We were able to give her a cane and a few leg strengthening exercises, but the most helpful things we could offer her were compassion, encouraging Scripture, hugs, and prayer for Christ to bring her joy and endurance.
All week two of our team members, Mallory and Brad, spent their days at a government center for people with disabilities. The patients there had profound mental and physical defecits. Anyone without any training in healthcare or medicine would be able to tell you that just by walking in and seeing the patients. The effects of living in a broken and fallen world were evident. Some of the patients depended on people to feed them, turn them in bed, dress them, hold them up in sitting...etc. What was it that brought a mother of one of the patients to tears? Was it yet another doctor confirming a physical diagnosis? Was it another therapist not being able to help him sit up on his own or feed himself on his own? Was it the news that her child would probably live the rest of their life in pretty much the same functional state? No. What brought her to tears was when a doctor sat down with her and asked her how she was doing. When he took the time to look her in the eyes with compassion. When he told her that her child had great worth and was created in the image of God. When he told her that her child was not a mistake but was a dearly loved child of God. She cried when he told her that she could be freed from all the years of guilt she felt---feeling like her child's illness was somehow her fault. That was what she truly needed to hear that day. No amount of expert medical advice could bring that type of healing and comfort.
This lady came in to see us for lower extremity weakness and back pain. Her neighbor was a member of the church and had invited her to come to our clinic. Greater than her physical needs though is her need for Jesus. This lady had a limited knowlege of the gospel of Christ, and after her treatment session we were able to explain it to her more fully and pray for her.
One night, we had finished our clinic for the day and were all standing around waiting for the evening servcies at church to start. A lady walked into the clinic and then found a translator and came over to me. I had treated her earlier in the week and then prayed for her afterwards. Honestly, I really can't remember what type of physical therapy I provided for her. I remembered her face and remembered spending time treating her, but didn't remember all the specifics of our interaction. The translator explained to me that she had brought her daughter with her who suffered from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, and that she wanted me to come and pray with and for her daughter. I went and was able to meet her daughter and pray for her. It struck me that this lady was most interested in spiritual healing. Notice that she didn't bring any family members, neighbors, or friends to get some medicine for their pains, or to be taught exercises to make them stronger, or to get glasses so that they could see better. She was interested in having someone pray and seek the healing that only the Great Physician can offer.
Medicine doesn't bring shalom. Physical therapy doesn't bring shalom. The best expert medical advice and care doesn't bring shalom. The latest and greatest state-of-the-art technology doesn't bring shalom. The absence of disease and illness doesn't even bring shalom. The only thing that brings true shalom is Christ.
This lady came in to see us for lower extremity weakness and back pain. Her neighbor was a member of the church and had invited her to come to our clinic. Greater than her physical needs though is her need for Jesus. This lady had a limited knowlege of the gospel of Christ, and after her treatment session we were able to explain it to her more fully and pray for her.
One night, we had finished our clinic for the day and were all standing around waiting for the evening servcies at church to start. A lady walked into the clinic and then found a translator and came over to me. I had treated her earlier in the week and then prayed for her afterwards. Honestly, I really can't remember what type of physical therapy I provided for her. I remembered her face and remembered spending time treating her, but didn't remember all the specifics of our interaction. The translator explained to me that she had brought her daughter with her who suffered from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, and that she wanted me to come and pray with and for her daughter. I went and was able to meet her daughter and pray for her. It struck me that this lady was most interested in spiritual healing. Notice that she didn't bring any family members, neighbors, or friends to get some medicine for their pains, or to be taught exercises to make them stronger, or to get glasses so that they could see better. She was interested in having someone pray and seek the healing that only the Great Physician can offer.
Medicine doesn't bring shalom. Physical therapy doesn't bring shalom. The best expert medical advice and care doesn't bring shalom. The latest and greatest state-of-the-art technology doesn't bring shalom. The absence of disease and illness doesn't even bring shalom. The only thing that brings true shalom is Christ.
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