The Healing Salves
I recently read a quote that spoke of healers in traditional cultures. The anthropologist Angeles Arrien, who was quoted, said that when someone fell ill in these cultures and went to a healer, the healer would ask them a series of four questions:
· “When did you stop dancing?
· When did you stop singing?
· When did you stop telling your story?
· When did you stop sitting in silence?” (Onward, Elena Aguilar)
These questions refer to what is known as the four universal healing salves. These salves can “return to us qualities of wonder, hope, and awe” (The Four-Fold Way, Angeles Arrien). I know that these qualities are definitely missing for me when I am in the depths of depression and anxiety.
Now, before you worry that I’m getting all woo on you, bear with me a moment more. These questions, or salves, captivated me when I first read about them. As I considered them in light of my diagnosis of depression and my faith practices, I discovered several beautiful biblical parallels with the spiritual practices of worship, prayer, praise, and meditation.
Consider these questions with slightly altered wording:
· When did you stop worshiping God?
· When did you stop praying?
· When did you stop praising God?
· When did you stop sitting in God’s presence?
When did you stop dancing? / When did you stop worshiping God?
Worshiping God may take on many forms, and Gary Thomas's excellent book Sacred Pathways outlines multiple ways that we can interact with God. Our interactions are a way that we connect with God and honor Him. Dancing, or movement of any kind, could be an option. I consider my writing an act of worship (or dancing in the kitchen while making dinner). Singing in church is often considered worship. I would also say belting out the lyrics to a favorite song in the car probably counts too. Filling the bird and squirrel feeders every week might be your act of worship, or maybe it’s taking a bike ride. You could worship in your quiet time or Bible study time. Worship takes so many forms.
When did I stop dancing in the kitchen? When did I stop singing in the car? When did I stop appreciating God’s creation? When did I stop wanting to spend time in God’s Word? These are my signals that maybe something is off in my life. I need to realign with God, with myself, and with my life.
When did you stop singing? / When did you stop praying?
Prayer involves talking to God and listening to God. As in any relationship, communication takes time and intentionality. God takes pleasure in interacting with us; He desires a relationship with us and pursues us. Let's consider for a moment how do you communicate with God? How do you talk with Him? How do you approach Him? How do you listen to Him? Are you actively listening? How is God trying to speak to you? How is He trying to get your attention? Are you pursuing Him?
I love the passage in 1 Kings 19 when God meets Elijah in the midst of, what I would call, a depressive episode. There is intentional pursuit at work at this moment.
Then he [the word of the LORD] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”
At that moment, the LORD passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13, CSB)
“A soft whisper –” that’s my favorite part. God rarely shouts at me to get my attention. There have been plenty of times when I’ve told God that He just needs to knock me upside the head with a 2x4, but He’s more gentle than that. He is persistent, though; I will give Him that.
I noticed an absence of his soft whisper back in November 2020 during a time when I struggled with every area of my life — teaching, writing, interacting with family, eating, exercising. As I look back on the days and months since then, one of the biggest things I let go of was talking with God, spending time with Him, worshiping Him. I admit I was angry at God. I didn’t want to talk with Him; I realize now that He can handle my anger. God never left me, but I did my best to ignore Him.
I hear God best when I get still and quiet and fully honest with Him and myself. This can be an effort when I let my stubborn self take charge. However, getting still and quiet and letting God speak often happens through journaling for me. Perhaps for you, you can communicate with God best while walking or singing or meditating. Whatever your method is…when did you stop doing it? When did you stop talking with God?
When did you stop telling your story? / When did you stop praising God?
Praising God and telling your story might not seem like they align at first glance, but let me try to trace the path my mind took. Telling your story uses the voice God gave you to tell others about the life you have lived and God's faithfulness throughout that life. Talking about God's faithfulness is an act of praise as it glorifies God to others. Truthfully, "when did you stop telling your story?" really does not need any interpretation, but I like the addition of praising God. It keeps the focus on God.
In my world, “telling your story” and “praising God” take the form of writing most of the time. For example, last winter I wrote a blog series in October that was published in November, and then I did not write again until sometime in January. Last spring, I haltingly wrote enough to get out one post a month. Then in May I started to see daylight again and I wrote 5 posts in a week (this post being the last of them). Writing is a product of creativity, confidence, and inspiration. It is my way of honoring God with the story and gifts He has given. I wasn’t able to truly glorify God with it until May, my slow writing from January to May was an act of obedience but not an act of love.
How do you praise and glorify God? How do you recognize His goodness? How do you share His faithfulness in your life?
When did you stop sitting in silence? / When did you stop sitting in God’s presence?
Sitting in silence, sitting in God’s presence, meditating – all of these actions have the idea of cessation in common. You must cease constantly doing and moving to still your mind and body. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “‘Be still, and know that I am God…’” (NIV). I have a wooden Hobby Lobby sign that reminds me daily, “Be still and know…” sitting on my window sill. We often see this verse out of context, so I decided to read Psalm 46 in its entirety to see what else God might be trying to tell us here.
Be still and know…
· God is our refuge and strength(46:1)
· Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall(46:6)
· The LORD Almighty is with us (46:7)
· What the LORD has done (46:8)
· He will be exalted in the earth (46:10)
God tells us to "be still and know" in the midst of chaos, uproar, and battle. He is not saying this during a time of peace but a time of strife and fear. This psalm reminds us of God's power and sovereignty. In this psalm, God is our victorious, conquering King, not a meek, lowly servant. How easily we limit God and put Him in a nice, tidy box.
Be still and know -- God will not be limited by human expectations, insecurity, or fear. God is God, and He will not limit Himself to make us more comfortable. So take your courage in hand, and sit in God’s presence. Let Him open your heart, heal your wounds, and call you to action.
The Healing Salves
Dancing/Worship, Singing/Prayer, Storytelling/Praise, Sitting in Silence/Sitting with God – these are the four healing salves. I am certainly no medical expert and will never dissuade someone from seeking professional medical help. Still, I would suggest taking the time to look at your heart and its relationship with God in addition to getting medical help. I take antidepressants, visit my doctor when I'm sick, go to counseling when I need (and I currently do), and am getting better about using my sick days. But these are only part of the healing solution. When we get to the point where we struggle to wonder, feel hopeless, and cannot find awe, shouldn’t we take that as seriously as any other signs of physical or mental illness? Maybe take some time today to ask yourself:
· When did I stop dancing?
· When did I stop singing?
· When did I stop telling my story?
· When did I stop sitting in silence?
I will leave you with a blessing from Paul, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NIV)
