MUSINGS
As soon as Jesus was baptized….a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am very pleased with him” (Matthew 3:16-17)
Last week I joined 6 other doctors in a house call to visit a woman who was part of an innovative palliative care program of a local district hospital in Kigali. We entered a very poor neighborhood on a rutted dirt road that wound precipitously up a steep hillside; mostly mud-walled houses with an occasional dwelling made entirely out of sticks and plastic sheets. Reaching the top of the hill, we walked into a small house made of mud brick, with a dirt floor, and a lace curtain as the front door, and 6 chairs arranged for us to sit around a cheerful woman on a bed. As the accompanying nurse tenderly began to change her dressing, we heard her story. She was 40 years old with 2 children less than 6 years of age, and now very limited with breast cancer. She had visited the local health center several times with strange feelings in her breast, and after several attempts was referred to a hospital where she was told that she had an infection. Sensing that something was more seriously wrong, some time later she went to another hospital where a breast cancer was diagnosed and she received a total mastectomy. However, the surgical wound never healed – instead the cancer began to grow through the wound, and now, about a year later, she had a large irregular mass on her chest wall which was at least 4 times larger than the original breast. Her husband had deserted her, her in-laws had tried to take away the house in which she was living, and neighbors were caring for the children.
In spite of almost constant pain and debility, her face was strangely radiant as she spoke of her plans to ask her one brother and sister many hours away to take in her children when she became more debilitated. She was trying to postpone that event as long as possible because her children were still her tender companions. She spoke freely of the strength and joy that she experienced in painfully descending the hill to attend church and worship every week, hiding the large mass in a loose dress. The visiting doctors had collected a small amount of money to leave with her, but before we left she asked the group if she could bless us, and then proceeded to earnestly ask for Heaven’s blessings to be poured out on us. We left that holy, mud-walled sanctuary and descended the hill in awed silence.
It seems incongruous that the poorest of the poor, in the most difficult and uncertain of circumstances, should be the ones to bless us, the wealthy, well fed and well dressed ones who visit them in 4-wheel drive cars. However, this happens with great regularity! The common denominator to all of these who so freely and joyfully bless us seems to be that their unshakeable conviction that they are loved by God, in spite of their illnesses and difficult circumstances. They have been chosen to be loved by God, and so accept all that comes their way with patience and even joy, and cannot help but share this joy and blessing with all who come into their circle.
Although Bible history is full of examples of God blessing and loving individuals (like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel), the only time this was expressed as a booming voice from heaven was in God’s exuberant approval of his Son – “My Son, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased!” What we have seen in these poorest of the poor is that in simple faith they have so identified themselves with God’s only Son that they share in the same unqualified love and approval. Many of us still think that we must be worthy of being accepted, we must be good to be loved, we must earn His approval. These afflicted Rwandans have nothing left to give, nothing to offer God in return, and so they simply and joyfully accept God’s love for themselves as weak human beings, and gratefully thank him for their one daily meal, regardless of where it comes from. And, because they are so loved, and God’s love is infinite, they can freely bless even those in perfect health and fullness of life with the only thing they have – infinite love.
All week I have been singing one of the most powerful hymns of the faith with renewed understanding –
Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong!
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so!
Calvin Wilson MD
June 2012
