A story of healing?

I don’t know about you but I’m usually suspicious of the stories of healing told in the media. Its not that I believe God doesn’t heal–I do. I get suspicious of the reasons why the person is telling it to the media. But, here’s one I heard recently on Terry Gross’s Fresh Air. This one sounds authentic because it doesn’t fit the “happily ever after” story we like to write. Listen here to her interview with Reynolds Price. 

Mr. Price (70 something) is an author of many books including a recent one called, Letters to a Godchild. Terry asked him about a vision he had of Jesus healing him. Mr. Price puts the following story in this context: he reports having only 2 experiences of visions and 1 auditory word from God. In short here is the story of a vision he had in 1984.  He had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in his spine and given about 18 months to live. He was losing the use of his legs and the radiation treatments he was to undergo would likely make him a paraplegic (which it did). Just prior to his radiation treatment he had a vision that he was resting beside the Sea of Galilee. He was wearing normal clothes but there were men lounging around him in “Jesus suits.” One came over and he recognized him as Jesus. Jesus beckoned him to come into the water, which he did. Then Jesus cupped water and poured it over the scar or spot where the tumor was. Jesus spoke these words to him: “Your sins are forgiven.” Mr. Price reports that wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear so he asked Jesus, “Will I be healed too.” Jesus says something like, “that too.” And that ended the vision. He went on with the treatment, did lose the use of his legs and the next year was touch and go. 

Terry asked Mr. Price what he thought about the healing vision since he wasn’t really healed. Mr. Price seems to think otherwise.

This sounds so much like a true vision. God heals in his own way but it may not be what we would expect. And true to form in the New Testament, God is more concerned with healing our sinful nature first. His vision is so much more believable than the “everything worked out just as I wanted it to” version that is popularly told.

One other story. In the darkest hour of his cancer, Mr. Price remembers wondering out loud how much more he had to endure. He heard an audible, “More.” And indeed, he suffered much more before getting healthy again.

Again, sounds authentic.  We have fantasies about God removing our suffering. Instead, he often sustains us and is with us through that dark hour. For some, he does remove them from the disease. Others, he does not. But, he is with them.