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Sickness
and Healing
Disease
There are 254
078 reported cases of AIDS worldwide;
because of
underreporting
there are an estimated 600
000 total cases. Nations with the most reported
cases:
But
have you heard that the highest rate of Aids in the
entire world is in New York City?
In
Ministry to Terminally Ill
David
Banner—the main character in the T.V. series “The Incredible Hulk”—in talking
to a terminal cancer victim
told this story: “A man being chased by a tiger
came to a cliff. In desperation he jumped and grabbed a solitary limb. Below
him
a second tiger roared
waiting for his fall. Above him
the first tiger
lashed out
barely missing its prey. As the branch suddenly began to pull away
from the cliff
the helpless man noticed on the cliff in a patch of soil a
single bright red strawberry on a lonely plant. Hanging there
he reached out
grabbed the fruit
and ate it. And
of
it tasted so good!”
Reach
out for the strawberries. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Problem of Evil
Whatever the answer to why
there is evil and suffering in the world
this much is true: God took his own
medicine. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Purpose of Evil
A composer of a musical
score sometimes includes some discords to create an overall pleasing effect. In
a similar manner
God’s ultimate purpose for the world was best served by a
plan that allowed for the presence and activity of evil. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Purpose of Pain
There is an ancient Chinese philosophy
which says: “To be dry and thirsty in a hot and dusty land-and to feel great
drops of rain on my bare skin-ah
is this not happiness? To have an itch in the
private parts of my body-and finally to escape from my friends and to a hiding
place where I can scratch-ah
is this not happiness?” Pain and pleasure are
inextricably linked. The pleasure would not exist
or least be recognized
if
it were not for pain.— Philip Yancey
Purpose of Pain
Pain can serve a definite purpose in
our lives.
Dr. Paul Brand of
Purpose of Pain
Pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures
speaks in our conscience
and shouts in
our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.— C.S. Lewis
If Dracula were interested
in drugstores
he'd shop at Sargent's in Chicago. In fact
store manager Harvey
Snitman says he's more interested in selling leeches than pimple creams or
mouthwash.
The worm-like creatures
which sport three razor-sharp teeth
are among the drugstore's hottest selling
items. Though the store manager tries to stock about 100 of the wiggly
squiggly blood suckers at all times
he can easily sell that supply within a month
or two. Known technically as Hirudo Medicinalus
or by Snitman as "Little
Friendly Draculas
" the medicinal leeches are primarily used by customers
to withdraw blood from black eyes. But other shoppers
from as far away as New
York
believe they relieve migraine headaches
phlebitis and the swelling of
bruises.
The leeches
which the
store imports from Russia
Poland and Hungary through a London broker
run
about three to four inches long and retail for $6.50. While the price may seem
steep
Snitman is quick to point out that the little creatures can be used more
than once. After gorging itself on a luscious shiner
for example
a leech
needs time to digest its intake before being called on again for service.
Physicians prescribed
leeches widely until the late 1800's
but their popularity has dropped off
since. So
if you're in the market and can't find them at your corner
drugstore
stop by Sargent's. Just say Dracula sent you.
Campus Life
January
1980
p. 23.
According to a study
published by Yale researchers in the Archives of Internal Medicine
a third of
American doctors do not have a regular doctor
a ratio much higher than for the
overall population. As many as 18 percent of Americans do not have a
regular source of health care.
The study found that
pediatricians were the most likely to have a doctor
while internists
pathologists
and surgeons were much less likely to have a regular
doctor.
from The New York Times
Tuesday
December 12
2000
p. D8.
A severe rash prompted a
man from a rural area to come to town to be examined by one of my colleagues.
After the usual history-taking followed by a series of test
the physician
advised the patient that he would have to get rid of the dog that was evidently
causing the allergic reaction. As the man was preparing to leave the office
my
colleague asked him out of curiosity if he planned to sell the animal or give
it away. "Neither one
" the patient replied. "I'm going to get
me one of them second opinions I been reading about. It's a lot easier to find
a doctor than a good bird dog."
George Hawkins
M.D. in Medical
Economics
in Reader's Digest
January
1982.
During the days of the PTL
Club television program: Patients in the psychiatric unit at Wilson Hospital
Johnson City
N.Y.
are forbidden to watch "The PTL Club" television
program because of what hospital officials describe as a "disturbing
effect" on some patients. Dr. Q.D. Schubmehl
chairman of the psychiatric
department
told a reporter for the Binghamton (N.Y.) Press that "many of
our patients do have serious problems
and we found that (the PTL show) was
exaggerating pre-existing symptoms." According to Dr. Schubmehl
the
program promotes the idea that "if you had faith
you wouldn't be
sick." He said that "the suggested interpretation by patients is one
of anit-physician and anti-medical. Maybe
it's not anti-physician or
anti-medical
but it at least puts things in a way that you can get better
through faith alone."
Eternity
May
1979
p.
12.
No illustrations yet
"Lord
whose spirit
is so good and so gentle in all things
and who art so compassionate that not
only all prosperity but even all afflictions that come to Thine elect are the
results of Thy compassion: grant me grace that I may not do as the pagans do in
the condition to which thy justice has reduced me; grant that as a true
Christian I may recognize Thee as my father and as my God
in whatever estate I
find myself
since the change in my condition brings no change in Thy own. For
Thou are the same
though I be subject to change
and Thou art God no less when
Thou dost afflict and when Thou dost punish
than when Thou dost console and
when Thou dost manifest indulgence. Thou hadst given me health that I might
serve Thee
and I have profaned it; now Thou dost send me illness to correct my
ways: do not permit me to use it to anger Thee by my impatience. I have misused
my health
and Thou hast justly punished me for it; do not suffer me to misuse
thy punishment.
B. Pascal.