Good for what ails you


Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal
and give strength to body and soul. –John Muir


When I was a child, we had one doctor, a Family Doctor. All of us saw Dr. Moore, for everything from tendinitis to tummy aches, lacerations and vaccinations. Dr. Moore did it all, for a long time.

But by the time my little brother came along, things were changing. He had a pediatrician, a doctor just for kids. And not only that—as he got older, there was an adolescent pediatrician, even more specialized. Today, it seems the specialists far outnumber the generalists.

Sometimes our faith walk seems to be following a similar path. It’s not enough simply to be a Christ-follower. Are you a Baptist or a Methodist? A “dunker” or a “sprinkler”? Bread and juice? Or wafer and wine?

We seem bent on particularizing God in our (very human) efforts to understand God more fully. (Did you know there are over 33,000 Protestant denominations in the world?)

Let me make it easier for you:

God is Love. Love can take many forms, wear many faces. Jesus’ instructions were simple: Love God. Love one another. Love yourself. A time-honored prescription for healing and grace, with unlimited refills.


Monday As we begin a week focused on healing, think of the role colors play in our lives. In Tibet, gold is the color of healing. What color brings peace to your spirit? Proverbs 22:1-2

Tuesday When was the last time you walked barefoot—outdoors, if possible? Or sat on a bench with your toes nestled in the grass, seeking the soil beneath? Go for it. Psalm 23:1-3

Wednesday Do you have a garden? Even a small potted plant? Spend time today attending to the needs of nature, whether in an indoor planter or outside. Focus on your role as gardener. John 15:1-4

Thursday Today, find a rock and meditate. Notice its facets and crags, and perhaps its seeming indestructibility. How are you like a rock? (You are, you know, in some way.) Psalm 18:1-2

Friday Now in contrast to the very solid nature of a rock—today, focus on water and its ever-changing, flowing nature. In which areas of your life could you learn from water? Isaiah 49:8-10

Saturday Today, choose a different place for your devotional time or time reading Scripture. Sit near a window, or venture outdoors. Listen for the Voice of the Creator.
Luke 19:37-40

Sunday It’s the weekend! What is more healing than giving yourself permission to waste time? Find time today to do—nothing. Or anything. Or—both! Give thanks for that freedom. Psalm 46:10

Even if a unity of faith is not possible, a unity of love is.
–Hans Urs von Balthasar

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