CARING FOR THE SOUL

 

(To gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the indicated scriptures will be most helpful)

Luke 17: 15. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him – and he was a Samaritan.

Psalm 139: 1 -14. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (1)

Thomas Moore is an American psychotherapist who writes and lectures in the fields of archetypal psychology, mythology and imagination. In a classic work of his, he makes some poignant observations about the use of the imagination in caring for the soul.  No one can perform the essential task of caring for the soul, without a willingness to seek to understand how the soul manifests itself, and how it functions.

The soul’s instrument, Moore suggests, is neither the mind nor the body but the imagination: “Often when imagination twists the commonplace into a slightly new form, suddenly we see soul where formerly it was hidden.”(2)

Let us use our imagination in this story recorded in the New Testament so that we may find help in caring for our souls.

I shall, in as far as it is possible, assume the identity and the character of a former victim of leprosy, who after receiving healing from Jesus returns in exuberance to offer his gratitude.

My name is Zordolf. I am the Samaritan, spoken of by Luke.
I suppose it was important for Luke to make sure you know that I am a Samaritan. That is an important distinction for him to make. You see, a Samaritan to the Jewish people is anathema! The other fact about me , that Luke makes abundantly clear, is that I am forced to live in a colony of lepers. O the bitter irony of it, that I am in the company of nine others of Luke’s fellow countrymen – all with the same dreadful sentence hanging over us! I am not sure whether it is fate or the hand of the Almighty that directs my destiny.

In the lonely darkness of the night, I sometimes pretend that some social decree or religious edict is being planned by God to break down the walls of separation and hatred between people, and in its place will come brotherhood and love! But then, in the morning the brutal truth is there once more! Fellowship in misery takes an incredibly long time to establish!

Inside me I found the strength to swallow back the urge to trade insults. When they deliberately ignore me, I take that moment to deepen friendship with my God and hold on to His hand.

One night as I lay thinking, I was wondering about dying, and what it would be like at the end! Would I be the first one to die, and would there be anyone here in this company to give me a drink of water? Surely death, the great equalizer, will by that time succeed in teaching us all some practical lessons .  I quickly and deliberately abandoned my morbidity!

From deep inside me, I heard a voice counseling me: “If you would know what it is like to die, you must first learn how to live.” So, I determined to live every day to the full and to be grateful for every experience each breath delivers! I must respond to an inner prompting to deal gently with my soul. I began to realize a sense of gratitude for this company surrounding me! At the least, I was not alone; we shared a common bond even if it is a most unfortunate one! Perhaps it would open our eyes to realize the other greater bonds we share! I feel a strange urge to re-examine the mistrust, and the dislike they hold against me! Is that entirely somebody else’s fault? Do I just treat them as those whom I believe do despise me and ignore me, and by that reaction keep the fires burning? I determine from this moment to search for some good in each man. I am convinced that somewhere in each lump of clay, diamonds, however small, lie hidden.
One evening as we sat around the fire in our cave I ventured to share my thoughts. “You know,” I began, ” In spite of the fact that people refer to us as “lepers,” we are not “lepers,” we are something much more than that! It is true that we are ten men who have leprosy, but  I am not my disease; I am more than that, and so are you. God made us to honor Him, and to love Him, and we must learn to do that even with our leprosy.” Silence fell like a mantle upon each man, and for the first time we later bid each other “good night.” Everything began slowly to change, after that. We sat around the fire and shared many things that are most vital to us. We reminisced about our families, our wives and our children and the friends we made over the years; we spoke of our loyalties, and the dreams we had for our children and the fears that somehow they may get in with bad company. And then each man tells of the day the first signs of leprosy appeared and of the dreams that suddenly became shards. Hope that springs eternal slowly stirs to life within each breast in spite of the mocking insignias.

Last night we shared in a lengthy discussion about life, and how everything works together. One of my Jewish friends, and I am so proud now to use that word, ‘friend,’ quotes a verse from the Book Of Psalms, (Ps:139):
“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, Your works are wonderful, I know that fully.” One after the other of my friends spoke with complete candor, and as I listened, I learned much from each of them about life’s mystery. Finally, we broached the subject of the care of the soul. All eyes were upon me, and it became apparent that I was being chosen to introduce this topic. Little did they know, that in the silence that ensued I was asking for the help of my God. I began: “I believe that each one of us consists of three parts – namely, body, soul, and spirit. The spirit is the most important part of all. It is the spirit that makes us human. It is that part of us where God dwells.  It is from here we gather faith to live and learn to exude gratitude, love, and brotherhood to the world. The body, on the other hand, connects us to the world of material things. It distorts our vision and makes us see reasons for hate, suspicion, war and division. The world makes vain promises to satisfy our every longing with materials that cannot endure. Separating both the body and the spirit there is the soul. The soul is that part of each person that decides from whence the power and the influence to conduct one’s life comes. If a person listens to the voice that comes from God indwelling him, he lives by faith. Then all the promises of abundant living are his. Furthermore, we learn that when tragedies happen to us, like leprosy, God is there beside us and helps us bear the burden. To listen to the loud thundering roar of the world is to eventually come to the end of your days with nothing but bitterness and disappointment. The soul’s task is to choose which it will be. To take care of the soul is to yield to the gracious influence of the Spirit. Then will you find that God is the giver of the most beautiful gift of all!
Each man bade the others a good night, and I am certain that I heard at least one voice pray the words of the old Hebrew prayer: “Into Thy hands, I commit my spirit.”

It was the very next morning the ten of us experienced such a change we can never forget. We met Jesus! I know that at that moment I was looking into the face of God. There was pity mingled with such amazing love that I became transfixed. When I finally spoke it was barely a whisper: “Jesus, Master, please heal my nine friends of this horrible disease” ……then I quietly added, “and me too if You please.”

I wish just one thing concerning that most miraculous event. If only my nine friends had listened to the voice from deep within themselves . The whole world would echo the beautiful sound of hearts made grateful for the amazing  gift they received. But they were so overwhelmed with the gift that they completely forgot the Giver. That day the world missed hearing the  beautiful chorus of thanksgiving from awakened souls!

A Prayer To Follow This Meditation

Give us this present moment, O gracious Lord, to do nothing more than to glory in Your creation of this mystery we call the soul!
It is like the fragile swallow’s nest that clings to Your altar and provides protection for our fledgling thoughts, from cynicism and doubts.

Now, the soul is like a majestic eagle that spreads massive pinions to carry it towards the heavens, high above the thunder clouds, to experience the glory of the quiet sun-beams of Your favor.

And then the soul is the mountain of God that looms unchanged and eternal, out of the mists of uncertainty, change, and decay.
The soul is ‘HOME’ because it is meant from the beginning to be Your dwelling place. A place in every human which You have made for Yourself. You wait each day with anticipation and excitement for us to return home, and to tell You about everything that we have learned in the school of life.

Indeed, it is as the Psalm writer said: ” We are fearfully and wonderfully made.”.

Thank You for our creation , and especially for the awesome souls You have entrusted to our care. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

It Is Well With My Soul

Editorial  Notes

1. Here and throughout this text, the quotations
from ‘ The Holy Bible’ are from the NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

2. THOMAS MOORE in CARE OF THE SOUL. p.
x1x. HarperCollins Publishers

Photo: – Summer cottages at “Black Island Tickle”, Newfoundland, taken July 2017.