SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai
Jesus was a great healer not because of how many miracles he performed or the number of persons he healed. Rather, it was how he went about doing the healing. When you pay close attention to all the accounts of healing that Jesus did, he began by first restoring the social dignity of the one being healed, either from the sickness of the spirit or the sickness of the body, before performing the healing miracle of restoration. One may wonder why he did this or embraced this approach. As social beings, all illnesses diminish our beings in the world of social connections. By restoring the social dignity of the sick, Jesus was performing something fundamental to human wholeness.
Too often, we are too quick at diminishing each other before others. We are comfortable at making each other little before others. It is always delightful to partake of gossip and to come across as though we are better than the other. We each forget that if we are to be placed at the crosshair of social scrutiny, our flaws will darken the brightness of both the sun and the moon. The greatest sin and the most to be forgiven by God because of what it takes to address its effect on someone is the sin of gossip. If one wants to follow God closely, one must work actively at overcoming the temptation to fall into the trappings of gossip.
Gossip destroys not just the name of the victim, but the very existence of the victim as a social being. It takes a lifetime to address the effects of such a sin. Sometimes, its effect can never be addressed. Jesus understood this very well that is why he corrected people in private, especially those who may be struggling with their own lives. For example, the woman caught in adultery was corrected by Jesus after all the accusers were gone. Before the accusers, Jesus came to her defense. This was a strategic move made by Jesus. No one ever overcomes a sin or a weakness when the starting point in the process is to actively shame them or reduce their sociality. What happens actually in such a situation is the diminishing of the power of agency on the part of the sinner to right their wrongs. If one wants to help another to be stronger and better, one must first build up the social status of the other and in private invite them to be reflective of their weaknesses. This is the way of the mystics, and we are all invited to embody this way of being in the world with each other. May we all be mystics to each other. Enjoy!
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