A Healing Birth

Jesus wept.  John 11:35 (NIV)

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; 

and there shall be no more death, 

neither sorrow, nor crying, 

neither shall there be any more pain: 

or the former things are passed away

Revelation 21:4 (KJV)

At the beginning of this advent season, it is easy to take a birth for granted.  That reality was challenged by the news of a stillbirth to a dear Kenyan family and community.  Words were inadequate to express our condolences for their loss and the distance we felt from their reality.

The stillbirth news arrived after a “deep dive” into more current theological understanding of the healings of Jesus.  “Stillbirths” are a missing part of that extensive theological review.  Our common language is challenged as to how we describe these “darkness” events. 

This stillbirth was a reminder of the challenge to my understanding of the nature of healing and the promises of advent.  With advent, we are reminded that a new light will appear and of a time when tears are no more.  

May those who mourn this season of advent see the light in another healing birth.  

Marvin

References

And Jesus Wept

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

Henriksen, J.-O., & Sandnes, K. O. (2016). Jesus as Healer. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Hage, M. L., Tetel-Hanks, J., & Bushyhead, A. (1992). When the Bough Breaks--the Blalock’s Story. Duke University Medical Center.

Hage, J (2011) “The God that Weeps” Sermon delivered at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church on 7/11/2011

The Arts of Healing

The Women of Montreal

East side stained glass window

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:6 {NIV)

You could easily miss it when you enter the vast space of Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. This stained glass window was one of the first I saw.  I knew it was important but I didn’t know the stories it was telling. 

One interpretation of the stained glass window is that of two critically important women,  St. Marguerite Bourgeoys and Jeanne Mance, bringing education and nursing to the new community of Montreal.  Another interpretation is that we see representation of both religious and secular responses to suffering in the same window.

After returning from that Canadian trip, I was introduced to the book, Becoming by Beholding by Lanta Davis, who demonstrates how ancient icons, mosaics and paintings can act as guides to our current and deepest dilemmas.  It is a powerful response to our short attention spans.  We can with “beholding” develop a deeper understanding of our own stories and struggles. The visualization of whom we “behold” forms the identity of our lives. 

Thanks be to God for the witness of the arts of healing.

Marvin

References:

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)

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

https://www1.cnd-m.org/en/marguerite-bourgeoys-a-woman-with-a-heart-of-gold/#:~:text=Marguerite's arrival in Ville-Marie,of Mother of the Colony.

Jeanne Mance (1606-1673)

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

https://www.cdnmedhall.ca/laureates/jeannemance (See video)

Hage, M.L.(2025) Then and Now

https://healingagents.blogspot.com/2025/07/then-now.html

Davis, L (2025) Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation, Baker Publishing

Medical Theology

"Sanctuary"  Elizabeth Clark

AQS QuiltWeek 2025, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Personal Photo 

Scene from “The Pitt” - HBO/Max

The Shema

(A:vi, S: v) “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad 

[Hear, Isra’el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one]

Deuteronomy 6:4 (CJB)

Looking for the intersection of the sacred and science is a challenge to the silos of our culture.  We may find it when we confront our reality as documented in post pandemic fictional series, “The Pitt”, where we see the struggles of caring and learning effective responses to suffering in our world.  

We also may find it in ancient wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas as applied to the practice of mental health care in the recent book, “Wayfaring” by Warren Kinghorn.  In his book we find both a critique of the underlying assumptions of the practice of psychiatry and calls for a wider understanding of mental health care.

For me, obstetric care, “accompaniment” and “standing with” are where this expansion is the path to healing.  This “abiding” is found in the practice of hospice care and midwifery.  It is in this journeying together that we find healing.

Thanks to God, for breaking the silos of our lives as we journey together and find sanctuaries in all sorts of holy spaces.

Marvin

n.b. If you watch “The Pitt” be sure to watch it with someone!  It is intense.

References

Reklis, K. Looking for healing in “the pitt”

https://www.christiancentury.org/screen-time/looking-healing-pitt

Zaltzman, L. This Hebrew Prayer in Max’s ‘The Pitt’ Was One of the Most Moving Jewish TV Moments I’ve Ever Seen

https://www.kveller.com/this-hebrew-prayer-in-maxs-the-pitt-was-one-of-the-most-moving-jewish-tv-moments-ive-ever-seen/

Kinghorn, W. (2024). Wayfaring. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Hage, M. L. (2011). Healing Agent Education.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2011/11/healing-agent-education.html

Hage, M. (2013). A Theology of Medicine.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-theology-of-medicine.html

Sacred Moments of Healing

“Prayer Beads”  Quilt

Roberta Lagomarsini, Bishop, CA

Personal Photo, AQS QuiltWeek, Grand Rapids, Michigan (2025)

"Singing is praying twice”

St. Augustine & Chance the Rapper

Finding the sacred is a quest that seems universal and central to the big idea of healing.  I was reminded of this in the recent book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, by Elizabeth Oldfield.  This book and her podcast capture the contemporary search for ”The Sacred” in our lives.  

In any culture, we are looking for a transformative response to our deepest disconnections.  We find these responses in words like, “mitzvah,” “mudita” “”jeong, and “ubuntu”.  In Western culture we see it in the institution of the Christian Church and its responses to suffering that we describe as “healing”.

What is hard to capture in the our meaning of “healing” is how it is understood as a community.  We largely see healing as an individual outcome, but as the quilters remind us this is about our connections with each other and the power of beauty.  

Prayers, like singing, are another place where we can experience those healing and sacred moments.  Here is a portion “A Liturgy for Medical Providers” of recently discovered books, “Every Moment Holy Series:”:

“There is no end to malady, sickness,

injury, and disease in this broken world,

so there is no end to the line of hurting

people who daily need my(our) tending.  

Therefore give me(us) grace, O God,

that I(we) might be generous with my(our) kindness,

and that in this healing and care-taking vocation

my(our) hands might become an extension of your

hands, and my(our) service a conduit for your mercy.”

        *Italic bold my change to original

These shared sacred moments of healing are present in our communities of healing found in the beauty of words and quilts.  Thanks be to God!

Marvin

References

AQS QuiltWeek, 2025

https://www.americanquilter.com/grand-rapids-2025

“Singing is Praying Twice” and More from Late Night with Chance the Rapper

https://thebothandblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/singing-is-praying-twice-and-more-from-late-night-with-chance-the-rapper/

Oldfield, E. (2024). Fully Alive. Baker Books.

This liturgy is from Every Moment Holy. Volume !,  by Doug McKelvey.  

https://www.everymomentholy.com/liturgies

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

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2020/09/healing-disconnections.html

Hage, M. L. (2020). Finding Joy.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2020/01/finding-joy.html

Hage, M. L. (2024). Healing Peace Revisited.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2024/12/healing-peace-revisited.html