Music and the Spoken Word: A Healing Balm

Contributed By The Tabernacle Choir

  • 27 June 2019

When physical or emotional illnesses strike, we can find the courage to keep going with the help of loved ones, with faith in God, and with compassion for ourselves.

The “spoken word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. The following was given June 23, 2019.

When physical or emotional illness strikes, our immediate need is to be healed. Whether it’s a scraped knee or a broken heart, a serious disease or a deep sadness, what we long for, first and foremost, is freedom from pain. We simply want to be healed.

Some ailments are overcome easily, and we can get on with life without much trouble. Some sicknesses of the body or mind are more difficult to manage, and healing may take years. And then there are chronic illnesses that are simply incurable and can make life seem almost unbearable.

But even in the most trying circumstances, there is a source of relief that is available to all. When the body cannot readily respond to our best healing efforts, there is a balm that can provide peace of mind and hope of heart.

Many, despite their personal burdens, have found that peace and hope as they reach out in service to others. One woman undergoing treatment for cancer made head scarves as a gift for women who, like her, had lost their hair. A man who came frequently to the hospital for chemotherapy brought doughnuts to share with those he met. These simple acts of kindness brought cheer and optimism to both givers and receivers.

After years of health and vigor, a young woman was given a medical diagnosis that meant a drastic change in her capacity and lifestyle. Besides physical pain, she now faced anxiety and fear as she worked to cope with her new reality. But she found she could turn to three sources for healing: her family and friends, her God, and herself. Her family and friends helped her relieve stress and reassured her that she would be OK. She also turned to God, spending meaningful time developing her spiritual life and strengthening her faith in his love and influence. Finally, this brave young woman began to treat herself with greater compassion and to care for herself in a way that contributed to her feelings of self-confidence and well-being.

It’s true that life’s circumstances may rob us of some of our physical or emotional strength. But we can find the courage to keep going with the help of loved ones, with faith in God, and with compassion for ourselves. Then we can turn compassionately toward others who suffer. This is the healing balm that makes “the wounded whole” (from the African American spiritual “There is Balm in Gilead”).

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