healing systems

Wednesday July 4^th, Mark 5: 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." What Jairus demonstrated was faith, pure faith.  This is one of two stories mixed together, both examples of faith.  Jairus was one of the synagogue rulers whose daughter was ill.  The story of the woman who had been bleeding for many years is sandwiched in the middle of the Jairus story.  The bleeding woman would have been considered unclean and therefore would not have been allowed in the synagogue or in the company of others.  Jesus’ response is healing for both as well as the community in which they lived.  The little girl is restored to life; the woman is restored to life and therefore reunited with the community, and in the process restoring that community to life.  One would hope that in the process what was also healed was the system that would keep some who are in need from the healing power of God, a system that often blames the victims of the system rather than the system which creates them.  What needs fixing in our systems, our communities and how do we create victims to blame for our ills?