Living Jesus’ ideas of healing and non-violence (Fr. Andrew)

        Yearning for life-changing ideas that can make us better Christian requires that one turns to the right and trusted source-Jesus. Jesus was a man of constant actions, and all his actions were imbued with grand ideas that are meant for our appreciation and application to our lives. We remember these words from the Holy Thursday liturgy, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). Consider two of such ideas: healing and nonviolence. These are no small ideas.

        Jesus certainly knew that human nature was not immune to disease, illness, pain, and suffering. Hence, he was always there to heal people who were sick and needed to some form of restoration.  However, Jesus didn’t only treat those who were physically disabled, but he also healed many hearts with his words. How many of the stream of people who followed him were seeking physical healing? Not many! They followed him because they wanted to listen to his words; they loved the words that proceeded from his mouth.

        One could only imagine how many in the regular crowd might have been undergoing some emotional and challenging circumstances, and who found the words of Jesus to be healing remedies for them. For such people, those comforting words, those lovely words, those beautiful words meant everything to them. Do we get the point?  Jesus is indicating that we all need healing of some sort, especially healing through kind and comforting words. We need this kind of healing in our time so badly. Many around us carry heavy burdens that can be made lighter through reassuring words.

         The idea of nonviolence is also noticeable in Jesus’ actions. In Mark 3:7-12, Jesus anticipates potential violence that could break out as the people were pressing on him and he avoided it by getting into a boat to move some distance away. What is the idea behind this action of Jesus? Nonviolence! Jesus believed strongly in nonviolence, and if we can all be as proactive and sensitive as Jesus was to others and embrace his nonviolent idea, it will be great for our society.

         Every form of violence people go through hurts them, and that should not be. Some experience verbal violence-the use of words as a weapon to harm or destroy others, power violence- when power brokers show to the rest that they have the power and can oppress others with it, while caring less about how they’re hurting. What about racial violence and physical violence which often create hatred, injury, and murders?

 Richard Rohr, the founder of Center for Action and Contemplation, has said that a good idea must engage the body, the heart, the physical world, and the people around us for it to be helpful. Therefore, if we find Jesus’ ideas of healing and nonviolence to be something to pursue, then let’s follow Rohr’s observation. Let’s avoid violence in every form. For, if I avoid it, you avoid it, and everyone else avoids it, we shall heal our land and its people.