"your faith has made you well"

Coventry, CT

Whew! We made it to the library, happy to be in out of the rain. Hope we can find a dry place to spend the night.

Following on yesterday's thoughts, I've been thinking more about how to help people in a way that does not direct their attention to me—admiring how good or loving a person I am—but directs their attention to their own value and, hopefully, inspires them to love. This seems easier on the road. People we meet are frequently inspired to acts of kindness and love, and they seem to feel good and encouraged (about themselves) as we leave.

But it seems harder to help in this way when we are the ones offering material things. Often those receiving the aid end up feeling more dependent (on us), less confident, perhaps more discouraged about their own lives. Recognizing this, relief groups have shifted their efforts to find ways of "empowering" people. Helping them to see their own strengths and to learn ways of helping themselves, so they become more self-confident and independent. This seems to be a step in the right direction, but when I think of Jesus' life and teaching I wonder if he wanted us to become more self-confident and independent. In a way, the goal of "empowerment" even seems to go directly against Jesus' teaching that we lay down our own power, becoming less dependent on ourselves and more dependent on God.



Thinking about the way Jesus himself offered physical help to people, I was reminded of what he frequently said to those he healed: "Your faith has made you well." This directs attention back to them, to their activity or participation in their healing, encouraging something good in them. But Jesus does not point to some ability or strength that they possess, neither does he encourage independence or self-confidence. What he points to is their faith. Their own relationship to God, their dependence on God in their need. (And this is not just nice words; he could not heal them if they didn't come in faith.) Jesus way of helping both drew out and encouraged the spiritual good in those being helped.

I'd like to help people in a similar way (in the retreat work, for example). Offering help that requires a spiritual good from people for them to receive it (faith, taking a risk for what is most important in life), and then directing attention to that spiritual good and encouraging it. So they come away, not more dependent on me or admiring me, but more aware of the good in their own relationship with God.