Healing Scars

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

 (Caravaggio  1601-1602)

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

At the end of last year in a series of essays in the Christian Century the authors shared stories of their scars.  One particular essay, caught my attention.  It was a narrative of cesarean deliveries.  It is a beautiful and painful story.

As a practicing obstetrician gynecologist, I created many scars, some seen and many unseen.  In addition, I taught others how to perform these procedures and systematically reviewed the outcomes.  These surgical acts were done realizing scars would result.  Simultaneously, we prayed for a healing result.  We understood the wisdom of our surgical predecessor, Ambroise Paré who wrote:

Je le pansai, Dieu le guérit ("I bandaged him and God healed him”)

I also have seen and evaluated many scars, some of my own making and many from others.  They all carry a physical story.  When I would see an abdominal scar that is broad, thick and indented, I knew that the scar went deep and has associated with a history of compromised healing.  Those scars required review of the surgical records and the patient’s experience.

So beside the biology of wound healing and scars, there are important narrative truths as demonstrated by the essays.  Confusion and uncertainty are frequent initial responses that only resolve with being able to tell and share scar stories.  For Christians, the story of Thomas and Jesus describes both the physical and spiritual reality of our scars and healing.   For me, the painting by Carravaggio tells that story.

Thanks be to God for healing all our wounds.

Marvin

References

Wikipedia:  The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (Caravaggio)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas_(Caravaggio)

Scar: Essays by Readers. Christian Century 12/30/20

https://www.christiancentury.org/article/readers-write/scar-essays-readers

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambroise_Paré

Hage, M. L. (2016). The Healing Challenge.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-healing-challenge.html

All is Grace

 

“Celebrating the Gift of COVID-19 Vaccines” NIH

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

My earliest introduction to pandemics was the death of a cousin (age 19) in 1949 from the severest forms of polio.   I was seven years old and still remember the great grief of his mother and the long lasting impact on our extended family.  Fear remained until vaccines were made available in the 1950’s.   Professionally and personally, I next learned about the HIV pandemic beginning in the 1980’s.  I was most concerned with the perinatal transmission of the disease.  It didn’t change until there was introduction of antivirals and their widespread distribution.  I saw glimpses of the H1N1 influenza, SARS and Ebola but these were more peripheral to my direct experience.

The Covid pandemic (like the HIV pandemic) has separated us more than social distancing,  “quarantine”, “being high risk” or even our political affiliation.  The pandemic experiences seem so varied.  The faces of the disease are still being identified.  So any proclamation on the meaning of it all requires very careful engagement and the assistance of others.

The first task, it seems to me, is having a clear memory of what was before.  It is a history that is forgotten or ignored.  It is not just about the “wins”.   Life lessons are made out of losses as well as wins.  What makes it livable are the presence of others - for me,  communities of faith and healing. The memory must always include those who engaged and shared the suffering as well as the healing.

The second task is to be clear about the outcomes.  This is about the prognosis and not the diagnosis.  It comes in knowledge from clinical trials and careful listening.  It is what gives us hope as well as frightens us.  It is where uncertainty looks for guidance from those who have lived through other traumas.  These guides are our docents who know and share their knowledge with us.

Lastly, I look for the character of the responders and the responses.  Who are the heroes?  What disciplines have they learned?  What environments have been places of creativity?  What are the stories of pandemics that we have learned, ignored or forgotten?   We have been given great gifts in the knowledge that has been shared with us.  Their knowledge has been shared by the grace of their words and understanding.  And now we have the gift of vaccines.

Thanks be to God for being with us all in our pandemics and our current Continuing Pandemic Education.

Marvin

References:

Collins, F. (2020) Celebrating the Gift of COVID-19 Vaccines 

https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2020/12/22/celebrating-the-gift-of-covid-19-vaccines/

Hage, M. (2008) STDs and NC State Law – A Provider / Public Health Partnership 

Hage, M. L. (2012). Healing Communities - “For the Greater Glory of God”.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2012/11/healing-communities-for-greater-glory.html

Hage, M. L. (2012). God’s Grace.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2012/10/gods-grace.html

Hage, M. L. (2014). Healing Ebola

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2014/10/healing-ebola.html

Jones, S. (2019). Call it grace : finding meaning in a fractured world. New York: Viking.

Brueggemann, W. (2020). Virus as a Summons to Faith: Biblical Reflections in a Time of Loss, Grief, and Uncertainty. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Hage, M. L. (2020). Healing Faith.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2020/06/healing-faith.html