Health Emergencies And The Immediacy Of Spiritual Thought

The thought of any emergency is worrisome, if not frightening, particularly when it concerns health; and many individuals of faith proactively pray specifically against emergencies, since it is true that ‘prevention is better than cure’.

But what if there is an emergency, an unexpected and dire health situation for example, that requires an immediate, appropriate and effective response? Moreover, what if it seems that the required human and maybe medical help or support is not readily available? Spirituality is always immediately and practically at hand, and by this is not meant a religious fervor, camouflaging as blind faith that ignores the problem and is in reality nothing more than excessive terror in disguise.

The unfailing basis of practical spirituality, that is reliable as a first call in an emergency [or any threatening situation] is God, the divine, supreme Being who, admittedly, is invisible to the screaming or terrified material senses.

But the fact of God’s invisibility does not preclude the fact of His reality and practicality. The question though is: How may an individual benefit from faith and spiritual understanding in a health emergency? In order to answer this question, it is important to look at cases that have actually proved, in a consistent manner, the efficacious benefit of spirituality in myriad emergency situations.

In Christianity, the Bible affords innumerable examples of the immediacy and practicality of spiritual understanding as a reliable help in health emergencies; from the leprous Miriam [Numbers] and King Hezekiah [II Kings] who had a terminal illness, in the Old Testament, to Jairus’ young daughter who had just died [Matthew] and Malchus whose ear Simon Peter cut off in the Garden of Gethsemane [John] in the New Testament.  

But for examples to be of obvious relevance, there must be evidence of their practicality in the present day. In the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, the work of Mary Baker Eddy are instructive. She was a Christian healer, whose ideas and healing work are recorded in several books, particularly in Science and Health with key to the Scriptures.

Examples from her healing practice such as cases of accidents, gunshot wounds, a carious ulcerated hip bone, cancer show the efficacy of spirituality in an emergency. In every case, resorting first to God actually resulted in healing.

Coming closer home, many in the Twenty First century attest to the fact that meeting an emergency or a threatening situation with a spiritual thought, based on the understanding of the omnipresence of omnipotent God, who is in control of human affairs, immediately does a number of things. It removes panic, destroys fear and gives clarity and insight as to the next right step to take. Acknowledging and reaching out in thought to God as a first recourse is available to every individual.

It is worth remembering that, in His immediacy, God is literally only a thought away. Many are finding God a very present and practical help, even in health emergencies. Some individuals attest, that the spiritual activity of turning to God and choosing Him, as ‘First Responder’ in a health emergency is beneficial and actually heals.

By Moji Solanke @CSCOM_NigWest