Salam Aleïkum sister in arms! Lella teammate! May you receive everything you need for this new season. May joy precede your arrivals and peace your departures.
Part 1: Healing the body
Few words and expressions
A quick reminder of the origins and causes of injuries and illnesses
Healing the body: diseases
Healing the body: injuries
Part 2: Healing the soul: analogy with healing the body
5. Healing the soul: the essentials (Love, Truth, Faith, Communion, Commitment)
6. Healing the soul: the process
7. Healing the soul: analogy with healing illnesses
8. Healing the soul: analogy with healing physical wounds
❖ (Isaiah 1:6, NIV): " From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness, only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil."
❖ (Psalm 147:3, NIV): "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
❖ (Luke 4:18-19, NIV): “The SPIRIT of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.”
❖ (Romans 5:5, NIV) : " And hope does not put us to shame, because GOD’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the HOLY SPIRIT, who has been given to us."
❖ (Psalm 94:18-19, NIV): " When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."
❖ (Psalmes 103:1-5, NIV): " Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."
❖ (Psalm 116: 7-9, NIV): " Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living."
❖ (Mark 12: 29-31, NIV): “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our GOD, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
1. Few words and expressions
I drew my inspiration for this article from the medical and paramedical world. So I need to define a few words and phrases before moving on.
A disease is a more or less profound, more or less lasting alteration of one or more organs and/or their functions, manifested by various signs and symptoms, enabling a diagnosis to be made. According to the Trésor de la Langue Française dictionary, a disease is an "alteration of the state of health manifested by a set of signs and symptoms perceptible directly or not, corresponding to general or localized disorders, functional or lesional, due to internal or external causes, and involving a course". Illness can be physical or mental.
Classified by cause, we distinguish :
Infectious diseases: due to the entry into the body of an infectious agent: a bacterium (bacterial disease), a virus (viral disease), a prion, or a parasite (parasitic disease). If the parasite is a fungus, we speak of mycosis.
Diseases caused by immune system disorders: allergic diseases (or allergies), autoimmune diseases.
Nutritional diseases: due to excess or deficiency of certain nutrients.
Genetic diseases are caused by abnormalities in genetic material: gene diseases (mutations in genes), chromosomal diseases (abnormalities in chromosomes), multifactorial (combination of several factors), and idiopathic (unknown cause).
Occupational illnesses and diseases due to the exercise of a trade or profession: exposure or over-exposure to certain risks, infection, intoxication, pollution, hardship.
A disease is recognized by its symptoms and/or test results. Consequently, cure is determined by the disappearance of symptoms and/or test results. Some symptoms are common to several diseases. Diseases are treated, but people are taken care of. In a way, treatment repairs, while care enables people to cope. Treatment can include care, but not all care is treatment. The goal of healing is in the present: to eliminate disease, heal injury, and restore functioning. The goal of restoration is in the future: to restore, to rebuild, to redeem time. Restoration goes further than healing. GOD heals because he loves us. He restores because he is faithful. 🙂 I'll write a specific article on soul restoration. For now, let's stay with healing.
Medical diagnosis: Identification of a disease based on symptoms or test results.
Infirmity: Particular affliction of a part of the body resulting in the suppression or notable reduction of a function.
Cure: the disappearance of an illness (with the disappearance of symptoms) or the healing of an injury.
Convalescence: the period of transition between the end of an illness and a return to health.
Restoration or Recovery: returning a person or thing to its normal or original state. Also defined as the re-establishment of a position or a set of actions designed to interrupt the destruction of a work.
Therapy or Medical treatment or Therapeutic treatment: A set of measures prescribed and applied by a healthcare professional to cure, relieve, or prevent a disease. Treatment methods are classified into three groups: medical, surgical, and medico-technical. Methods can be applied in different ways, using different techniques. There are, for example, conventional, unconventional, traditional, and modern methods. There are three types of treatment:
Curative: To cure the patient.
Palliative: To relieve the manifestation of a disease or symptom. Example: analgesics (medication that reduces or eliminates pain without treating the cause).
Preventive: To avoid the onset of a disease or pathology.
2. A quick reminder of the origins and causes of injuries and illnesses
The origin is the starting point, while the causes are the circumstances that trigger injury or illness. The fall of Man has a consequence on spirit, soul, and body. Each of these consequences can be seen as an origin. Two examples:
When it comes to the wounds of the soul, some teachers say the origin is the Fall of Man, while others say it's the loss of communion with GOD. The fall preceded the loss of communion.
When it comes to the body this time, some teachers say the origin of the disease is the fall of Man, while others say it's death (the devil's nature). Death existed before the Fall but had no access to Man's body. The Fall gave death access to Man's body. From then on, death by infectious agents can cross the barrier of the immune system.
Life is the nature of GOD, while death is that of the devil. As sickness leads to death, it is common to hear believers say that the devil is the author of sickness. Just as he is the author of sin and lies from the beginning (1 John 3:8; John 8:44). This doesn't mean that every illness is caused by a demon, or that a demon is systematically present in the body of every sick person.
A soul wound is an emotional and/or sentimental suffering, conscious or unconscious, resulting from an experience, bad or perceived as bad, forgotten or recalled, leading to an affective disorder, an attachment disorder, an inability or difficulty to be authentic and blossoming in one's relationship with GOD, one's relationships with others or one's self-acceptance (self-esteem, recognition of one's potential, qualities, defects, achievements, needs and aspirations).
In the article The wounds of the soul, I wrote about the origin (the Fall of Man) and causes of soul wounds. In the same article, I presented the consequences, groups, and types of wounds. We can be wounded by ourselves, wounded by others, wounded by various life events, traumatized by unfortunate events, and wounded by thoughts sent by the devil and demons.
Being hurt is no excuse for hurting others. Do you give someone permission to break in because they've been ripped off? Of course not. Just as forgiving is not condoning evil, being hurt is no excuse for committing evil. Whatever the circumstances, GOD will always choose Love, Truth, and Holiness. He does not use the devil's methods. We've made mistakes, we may make them and we certainly will make them. But there's a difference between being willing to improve and refusing to change. Not lying, not stealing, not killing, honoring, being kind, and separating ourselves from bad companions are commandments, not suggestions. GOD doesn't normalize what's dysfunctional, he fixes what's dysfunctional 🙂 If you haven't read this article, I urge you to do so.
In the article Demons can cause illness, I listed the causes of illness and pointed out that GOD can heal in different ways. In all circumstances, we must pray and ask the HOLY SPIRIT for assistance. We fall ill because our immune system's resistance is weak, exhausted, inadequate, or non-existent. For example, in the event of an epidemic, those who fall ill are those who have been exposed to the infectious agent and whose immune system is insufficiently or no longer resistant to the agent. The absence of disease does not mean that the infectious agent does not exist. The absence of disease means that either the infectious agent is not present in the body, or the infectious agent has been deactivated either naturally (immune system or medication) or supernaturally (divine intervention).
The immune system is a coordinated set of recognition and defense elements, whose mission is to protect the organism against invaders (internal and external). These invaders can include microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts), parasites (worms), prions (infectious proteins), cancer cells, transplanted organs or tissues, and certain molecules (poisons). The body is ill when :
The immune system is deficient: the body's defenses are weakened, insufficient, or absent. The deficiency may be punctual, recurrent, or permanent (leading to recurrent, severe, and long-lasting infections).
The immune system can be weakened by age (babies, children, the elderly), previous illness, infection, exhaustion, unbalanced diet, inadequate hydration, alcohol consumption, stress, lack of sleep, lack of sporting activity, the environment (air pollution), and so on.
The immune system is disrupted and begins to attack an organism that it should normally protect. We then speak of “autoimmune diseases”, the immune system attacks the tissues of its own body.
The immune system responds excessively to an innocuous foreign element (allergic reactions).
One or more demons make the body sick by causing a deficiency or dysfunction.
As a reminder, demons have four main ways of gaining access to man (spirit, soul, body): sin, ignorance, exhaustion, and alliances (made by the people concerned, their ascendants or descendants). Added to this is the influence they can exert over certain places and territories through acts committed (idolatry, syncretism, occultism, debauchery, murder, abortion, etc.) or the rejection of the Gospel. Demons can oppress the minds of unbelievers, and the souls and bodies of believers and unbelievers alike. They can also influence circumstances. In the article Psycho-medical support, I explained, based on the Bible, that deliverance is not simply a matter of casting out demons.
GOD can heal in different ways: revelation of his Word (his Love, redemption, and authority in JESUS, a specific word), healing, medicine, prayer, laying on of hands, anointing with oil, etc. Again, whatever the circumstances, we must pray and ask for the assistance of the HOLY SPIRIT.
3. Healing the body: diseases
We are more or less resistant to certain physical illnesses, depending on the state of our soul, genes, blood type, environment, habits (diet, rest, exercise, lifestyle), and the way we manage our emotions and feelings. GOD can heal by various natural and supernatural means. Sometimes healing is instantaneous, sometimes progressive. To strengthen or re-establish their immune system, we ask the sick and/or those caring for them to follow a few recommendations. Among these are:
Rest: Sleep increases the capacity of certain immune cells. Conversely, lack of sleep reduces their effectiveness. Physical exercise fortifies the immune system, but a sick body needs more immune resources than normal. This is why, when a person is ill, rest is preferred to physical activity.
Stay hydrated: Staying well hydrated supports the immune system, brain function, blood circulation, toxin elimination, body temperature regulation, digestion, fluid production (tears, saliva), skin and joint maintenance.
Eat qualitatively, abstain from certain foods, or fast wisely: Consume good-quality foods, giving the body what it needs at present (vitamins, minerals, trace elements, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fibre), without overloading it. In the case of therapeutic fasting, avoid dehydration and malnutrition.
Respect the prescription and report any changes: improvement or worsening of the patient's condition, the appearance of a new symptom, side effect, or allergic reaction to a medication, etc.
Protect yourself: Move away from or protect yourself from any high-risk environment (contamination, cold, humidity, hygiene, air, water, or soil pollution, etc.).
The diagnosis guides the recommendations. Recommendations must therefore be :
Appropriate to the disease (diagnostic accuracy, knowledge, discernment, interpretation).
Adapted to the patient (choice, dosage, frequency, duration).
Applicable to the patient's environment (accessibility, availability, constraints, risks).
Some recommendations are major, others are minor. Failure to comply with major recommendations aggravates, prolongs, and/or spreads the disease.
Example 1:
The common cold is an illness caused by a virus, and cold weather is a risk factor. The nose and respiratory tract are designed to get rid of germs before they make you sick. When the air is cold, the mucous membranes are irritated and less able to fulfill this defensive role. This is why many of us get colds during the cold season, or just after prolonged exposure to the cold. When you have a cold, you need to stay warm and dry. The body fights off germs and should be spared the energy it needs to keep warm. Protecting yourself from the cold when you have a cold is a major recommendation.
Example2 :
Cholera is an epidemic diarrheal disease caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. In most cases, symptoms are mild. In some cases, symptoms are acute. The disease develops rapidly and is accompanied by severe dehydration. If left untreated, it can lead to death in a matter of hours. In the event of cholera, it is essential to compensate for digestive losses (of water and electrolytes), and to respect and reinforce hygiene rules. Failure to comply with these key recommendations means contaminating others and exposing yourself to death.
4. Healing the body: wounds
When the wound is simple, nurses recommend :
Clean
Wash hands to avoid depositing germs on the wound.
Clean the wound with a special cleanser or soap and water.
Disinfect the wound with an antiseptic.
Protect: apply a dressing, and avoid certain activities or places to prevent the deposit of new germs.
Check healing and signs of infection, check vaccination status, and change dressings if necessary.
There are specific recommendations for deep and serious wounds. Recommendations are adapted according to the type of wound, the location of the injury, the injured person's state of consciousness, the degree of burns, whether or not blood has been lost, the injured person's position, and the location of the incident. Whatever the case, the first steps are: to protect (cover or move only if there is danger), call for help, stop blood loss, and talk to the injured person (reassure them and help them stay awake).
** Salam Aleïkum = Good morning / Peace be with you in Hassaniyya (Mauritania)
** Lella = Good afternoon in Soninké (Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia)