Matthew under the arm 81

Two days ago, I was having a rest after a difficult stretch of road. It had been pouring with rain for three solid days. The mud and wind seemed to make the walking twice as hard as it probably was in reality. Columba bumped me on my shoulder and ushered me to come and help. We walked into a little house, where an old lady was distraught with anxiety. She had her hands clasped in agonised beseeching. There on a couch was a boy of about 15 or 16, he was pale and thin, eyes staring straight ahead of him. Seemingly, he had been like that for weeks... Terror was in his face. When I looked at Columba's face, it was as if the same terror had overtaken him as well. Columba looked at me and whispered that I must sit on the floor, remain slent and imagine Christ's presence in the room. 'Work hard at your prayer,' he added urgently. 'Prayer? Hard work?' 'Of course...the hardest and most vital work.' We were there for over 24 hours.... no food, no sleep, but working with the terrified boy. This morning, we returned. The boy was sitting, with equally ashen features.... Was this a healing by Columba? 'Maybe. That's not the point,' he replied. 'Integration lies at the root of all wholeness. That's what's Christ's unity within is about.' I am now even more exhausted, even more wondering.


Matthew 17:14-20….
A sufferer from Epilepsy can seem ‘taken over’ by some external entity, not only to the anxious oserver but the sufferer her/himself. In a culture where the God of history drove natural as well as historical events, such distress came from a ‘negative God’, or devil. What is important for us is that the story portrays the complete confidence in Jesus to extract the ‘devil’, because that is the nature of God’s Kingdom, where restoration is free of destructive forces through the activity of love. That total confidence in God is lacking in the disciples. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus claims that the disciples had not prayed or fasted: a suggestion that the spiritual preparation we give to whatever we do is essential in the journey of faith.


In readiness for the tasks before me, I would ask for stillness and attention to Your Healing Wisdom


Take out your diary or calendar. Let it lie on your lap or on the floor before you. Make it an offering to God. As you look at the detail, having memorised the sentence above, gently repeat it after each item. If there is a particular task about which you are concerned, enter it in your imagination with Christ, using the sentence. Remain there repeating the sentence and being as still as possible. Breathe carefully and hold the diary with your palms open. Pray deeply that you may become more and more available for ‘Kingdom’ restoration work: working for local justice and integrity in whatever way you can, no matter how insignificant.

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles