ABSTRACT
Similarly, the Bible's view of the disabled as candidates for divine healing can also cut across the medical profession's too easy dismissal ofpossibilities and hope for those in our circumstances. The orthopedic specialist who told me to accustom myself to debilitating pain and that I would never walk without a cane again could not imagine that I would ever hike to inaccessible waterfalls or lead dance workshops-but I do. New studies in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) are confirming that the spiritual practices ofmany religions offer a real advantage in the management of health problems.4 Attitude and image can create miracles where Western medicine can only shake its collective head. Certainly we must be on guard against purity fetishes, objectification, and negative evaluations should "healing" not be complete or even visible, but the Bible's claim that faith makes a difference ought to be heard and celebrated. The healing stories of the New Testament emphasize over and over again that the faith of the one healed is as much a part of the healing action as the divine compassion that is extended (Matt 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 8:48; 17:19; 18:42; Acts 14:9), thus mitigating somewhat the overall objectification and passivity in the characterization of the disabled or chronically ill. While it is important to us to be seen, heard, included, and valued as we are in our brokenness, we must not accept the narrowed choices and silence that society prefers for us. The Bible, in suggesting that our attitudes and expectations shape our experience and ability to receive healing, gives us back the power to imagine ourselves differently and to craft a reality that more accurately reflects our talents as survivors.
