Believe

In my last blog I shared some thoughts about belief drawn from the story of the woman who was healed in Mark 5:24-34. She had spent all her money going to physicians and grew worse instead of better. Her willingness to reach out to Jesus demonstrates a desperate courage. She was desperate in terms of her repeated frustration and disappointment. She was courageous in her perseverance. She refused to give up. When she heard about Jesus she must have found a way to silence the voices inside her head that told her is was a waste of time and effort. As I have reflected on the story this week, I have thought about how loud and numerous the voices are in our world today that seek to discredit the value of reaching out to Jesus. It's ironic that there are many voices that encourage belief in other "pathways" to peace and purpose. Discussions of spirituality and metaphysical issues are at an all time high. Books, television programs and movies regularly present supernatural "phenoms" of all shapes and sizes. Yet, belief in Jesus in maligned. Sometimes it may seem to you that believing in Jesus with a sincere and trusting heart is like swimming upstream. In those moments I hope you will remember the woman. What would she say to you? Would you listen to her voice? I hear her say to me "It's worth the effort".