Tuesday 16 March 2010

Background

Many cultures and religions include in their beliefs a reverencefor 'holy waters'. We might think of tokens thrown into pools inancient times and discovered centuries later by archaeologists;'clouties' of cloth or ribbon tied to trees in close proximity tonatural springs; well-dressing; bottles of holy water brought fromsites of pilgrimage; the attraction of both Roman and Victorian spatowns.

In this passage, a man had been waiting a very long time to behealed - 38 years - perhaps much of it spent very close to the poolof healing. Jesus, however, healed the man without reference to thewater. The crucial question he posed was "Do you want to be madewell?" There is no suggestion that Jesus blamed the man for hisillness or disability, but he apparently did need to work withinthe man's own desire for wholeness and his willingness to takeresponsibility for himself.

As so often in John's Gospel, the surface story carries a deepermeaning. Jesus knew that over a period of time the man may havelost all hope or desire of being healed. Whatever our abilities ordisabilities, perhaps we all sometimes find it easier to wallow inour limitations, to be defined by the things we cannot do, andimprisoned within circumstances we feel powerless to change. It isall too easy to become stuck in a caricature of our trueselves.

The story is an invitation to continue to be hope-filled people,awaiting the given moment and responding gladly when transformationand healing are made possible.

To Ponder

What experiences have heightened your awarenessof 'healing waters'?

Have you ever come close to giving up all hope ofbringing about change in a particular context? How far has it beenpossible for you to 'be the change you wish to see'?

How do you nourish and attend to your own desire'to be well'?