Reading: John 5:2-15
Crowds waited at the pool of the Bethesda, they believed that an angel came down at a certain time to stir the waters and whoever gets in first would be healed of whatever illness they have. The man had been waiting for thirty-eight years! So when Jesus asked if the man wanted to be made well, you would think the answer is an immediate, resounding “yes!” But instead he gave an excuse. “There is no one to carry me!” he claimed. He had coped with years illness by choosing a routine that made the waiting bearable. We stay awake, we keep watch, we stay open to healing by paying attention to our method of escape. What do I do when I feel anxious and depressed, bored or lonely? Is “shopping therapy” my way of coping? Or do I turn to alcohol or food? Do I cheer myself up with drugs or sex, or do I seek adventure? Do I prefer retreating into the beauty of nature or into the delicious world provided by a really good book? Do I fill up the space by making phone calls, by surfing the net, by watching hours or TV?
How do you wait with longing?
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