The Bridge between medical science and the unknown

I was watching a back-to-back episodes of the Golden Girls one night when not much was on TV, and one of the elderly women seems to have a cold that last several months,  and  the cold got progressively worse to the point where she could not move her arm in simple motions or get out of bed.   Several doctors in the area, including specialist, repeated a battery of tests to conclude that nothing was wrong with her.Not satisfied with that answers, more doctors and psychiatrists in New York City examined her and repeated some of the same tests. There was the same conclusion… nothing was wrong with her.

The last doctor, another specialist agreed that doctors don’t always have the answers and that a new disease is the problem. Further study by that doctor concluded the woman had a newly-recognized condition called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which has no cure.  She was relieved to know what was wrong and how to at least deal with it.

The practice of medicine is limited to the knowledge of the field and is by no means perfect.  It is always changing due to technologies or increased awareness of physical or mental problems.What bridges the gap between what doctors and science can explain and what actually happens to people?

When it comes to health, we have the faith in God, and the power of a prayerful community of believers. It has been shown that many illnesses plaguing man haven’t been around since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, and all those viruses, germs and bacteria affect all life.  These medical problems are not new.

I have stated before in another column that science and religion can coexist and that science is an attempt to explain what God already knows.  How we deal with these medical mysteries depends on our health care system, which has been the subject of much debate and reform recently.  Regardless of the final outcome, it may not be possible for a person with an unknown medical problem, like the woman in the TV show, to go to many specialists and have repeated tests to find the answers. Even if the diagnosis is right, how do we deal with the cure? How do we bridge this gap between the known and unknown?

The answer lies in the faith that God can heal, along with the help of caring doctors.  The spiritual mindset of a patient can increase recovery times and increase positive results.  It was Jesus who performed several miracles healing the blind, the infirm and those with what was called Leprosy back then, and these were done through the power of God through His son.

Faith can bridge the gap between medical science and the unknown, and give us the peace of mind we have a purpose on earth. If we should depart, we will have a home in heaven next to the Father and His son.

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2
Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

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