Midrash Heals!


Now let me give you an example of midrash. When I visit people who are ill, I often hand them my pocket New Testament and ask them to open it at random. I then read a portion from the text and use that to formulate a prayer for them. I do this for two reasons: First, I believe the Spirit will guide them to select an appropriate text. Second, I believe the Spirit will guide me and give me an appropriate interpretation for this person at this moment -- a customized midrash, if you will. I've done this enough to believe in the process.

One afternoon I visited two men. The first one was dying. When I gave him the New Testament, he opened to the Gospel of John where it describes Jesus walking upon the sea to his disciples who were struggling in their boat against an adverse wind. It says that when Jesus got into the boat with them, they immediately were on the other side, at their destination. My prayer was that Jesus would come to this man and take him to the other side. Here, of course, I interpreted "the other side" to mean the life beyond this life.

The second man was in the process of a difficult rehabilitation. When I gave this man the New Testament, he opened to the exact same story of Jesus walking upon the water in the Gospel of Mark! Actually, Mark's text is somewhat different and says that when Jesus got into the boat, the wind ceased, implying the disciples no longer had to strain at the oars. My prayer for this man was that Jesus would come to him and relieve him of the struggle of his rehabilitation.
 

Dan Kreller is the rector of St. Bartholomew's, Ho-Ho-Kus.