Gout Kills

Once upon a time I was a long distance trucker. I have clear memory of a very unsolicitous incident. 

Driving down an inter-state highway in California, my right foot was killing me. It was so bad I could not touch the brake pedal without yelping in pain, dared not even hover around the pedal, so it seemed! Fortunately, with air brakes I was able to resort to trailer brakes via handle on the steering column of my truck, left foot doing the necessary fine tunes (clutch or brake) on the floor only as needed! Ow! [My 18 speed manual shift not yet one of those auto transmission units gliding along these days] I messaged dispatch to inform of my plight and that I would stop in at a nearby walk-in medical clinic. Message reply was reminder I had another appointment, namely delivery of my load! I responded to that with uncharacteristic bravado, "ER foot pain first." My dispatcher agreed (knew this operator's on time every time delivery record). End result was my first experience of 'miracle medicine.' After a considerable wait at the Walk In Clinic, this unbeliever limped into a nearby pharmacy and picked up ... a small prescription of Colchicine! Two hours later I was a believer happily singing down the highway, pain-free (almost), and next morning my load delivered as per usual on-time in Los Angeles. How undramatic the life of a trucker who delivers his loads on time! 😖😉   

Los Angeles in the Morning

This is the story I was reminded of when my wife woke me up this morning after an all-night sleep, the first time in months not even with the normal 3 a.m. pee. The evening before, after a few days of increasing pain in my right ankle we called an emergency hotline, immediately warned it may be a blood clot. Off to our local Urgent Care, after short exam asked if gout was in my medical history I said "no" - and then corrected myself, remembering suddenly every detail of that incident years ago. Bingo, this was it again as per these ER medical professionals. Again a little trip to a pharmacy, and again a prescription, this time Indomethacin, latest medication for said pain immediately recognized by my daughter, a pharmacy technician now - and a teenager back then! 

Dreadful pain to no pain fits into the miracle category for me. Biblical examples come to mind. There are so many instances of Jesus performing a healing - like instantaneously - and then issues to be dealt with, often raised by onlookers: Should you do that on the Sabbath? (John 7:23); who sinned to get you a blind son? (John 9); or inter-relatedness of healing or sins forgiven (Matthew 9:4-7). Seems like ofttimes the healing becomes the immediate context performed by Jesus the protagonist, and that followed by discussion, debate, learning, and even leaving it for another day (Luke 4:30). 

These gout occasions, although terribly painful, are not necessarily thought of as potential miracle incidents, but I do know if Jesus was going by just when the uric acid crystals scratch my joints, I also would cry out, and so rejoice if the pain would end right then and there! My doctor, although a man of faith, speaks calmly about many body functions including gout or brain waves seemingly all treated with medications. "It's all about chemicals," he says. Although I don’t quite believe him on this point, when he prescribes a helping drug, my disposition is near to proclaiming him the miracle worker. So it goes! Although I stop short of idolizing him (because sometimes he's wrong) 😇 his words are on par with topic at hand. Health and pain is similar to flowing water and plugged pipes or veins, living breath (ruach) given or taken away, Holy Spirit and Evil Spirit? Among the many dramatic healing and forgiving stories of Jesus, I note he also was known to 'follow up', namely sit with a freshly healed or forgiven beggar or prostitute to help them make new life decisions, e.g. "go sin no more" (John 8:10-12). His healing love probably also included tough love. Much to ponder and also give thanks for. 

Whatever my prognosis in these few paragraphs, I maintain that God is here among our pains, whether stretched out for long periods or terrible 911 occasions. Sometimes the healing seems miraculous if someone knows how to make the right diagnosis, and even more so if in the acknowledged presence of the One who's been there all the time, and knows how to retain the healed life. Thank you Lord.

Sacred Text

Here is sample of an unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday. I started a blogpost about a week ago. It took a while because I needed to check some details so it might read with some credibility. Among other things also commanding my attention, I whittled and researched and fretted, finally decided it was okay to post. Copy and paste proceeded as per usual, at least so I thought, until my Control V yielded only a blank page at the blogsite destination. Gone! Gone, not even a whimper. It was hard to believe, but after two requests for technical help from library staff, my plight began to sink in. Gone! Gone, still gone.

It was at that point that I began to do my usual - put the thinker in gear! Why is this document hidden in the netherworld somewhere? Is there perhaps a reason? Is the topic perhaps ill founded, perhaps unnecessary? I could definitely live with that. If, however,  it is merely a stupid copy and paste mistake that I had made, I’d like to know about it. I need a little more computer education anyway; I headed down that trail.

So here it is another day later. Among the suggestions I had heard yesterday “perhaps type it again” both from the librarians and from my son the residual expert for all problems of this nature (He lives in Ontario but that does not keep me from crying help from him). Typing again seemed like an impossibility – until late last night. Why not give up on retyping, but perhaps just ‘recreate’ using the same title and tell it with a different slant. There are actually several books written about that.[i] This is risky because I am a bit detail-challenged, even if concept-creative! And my only handwritten notes were a few scratches I had made while checking some details on Google! Here we go! 


"

It all begins with my slight frustration with the endless variety of versions of Bible readings I hear in church services these days. In fact more often than not a ‘creative’ reader is doing away with the Book and the scriptures get read from an 8x11 sheet of paper or even a cell phone! 😒 I know the inspired word is not conditional on the type of book we hold in hand, but is it not reading the Word? Public worship of God is best served if we read from only one version of the Bible. Does it not make sense to focus our readings on God rather than our variegated preferences?

A quick survey of Bible Gateway reveals 64 English versions without even signing in. Sign in to Gateway Plus and you get 233 Bible versions in a total of 74 languages! That is a lot of information, or should I say many different ways of saying the same thing. In this computer age we have resources to pursue whatever our language or version - or preference!

This is in sharp contrast to some recent experiences in our city's Interfaith Council (my main point). Scripture Reasoning is one of its program offerings. It has a narrow dogmatic sound to it; but it is exactly the opposite. It's a virtual or occasionally in-person get together, and one person, on a chosen topic will share the ‘Sacred Text’ from their particular faith. That is followed by questions for clarification and then reflections from anybody, either comparing to info from another tradition or spiritual reflection on the reading just shared. With help of a moderator, we do not critique it too death, just listen for the personal meaning, ofttimes leading to some quality testimonies of personal faith. I guess that is exactly what we're trying for, interfaith encounter! 

Also, yes ALSO, these sacred texts are shared in unadorned original form (at least my impression)! Coming from my non liturgical church tradition with Bible readings from pieces of paper, I have heard in last several years in this modernist environment a considerable rendition of King James English, an old unadorned sound whether from the Bible or from Book of Mormon, or from Writings of the Baha’i, or the Quran.. I hear gentle witness from a Hindu participant who from their Bhargava Gita does not participate in Creation arguments or theologizing because creation is so far back that it is just ‘eternity,’ totally unnecessary to waste energy speculating about. Now that is something that both modernist and fundamentalist Christians need to take to heart, allow that into our creation accounts as well as apocalyptic speculations.

So this is the context. I wrote about this, and then I lost it, probably because I was a little too adamant with my Ctrl button on my laptop. Turns out the development of my thoughts was not that important after all. This is shorter! No need to wade through my earlier expanded version of that scratchpad! In interfaith it is possible to do a personal version of our various faiths in a large peaceable manner! We do not argue, no debate, and our kindly moderator always thanks the presenter and each participant for their particular contribution to the topic. [Know-it-all moderators would have greater difficulty!]

Wonderful. Coming out of these sessions I am more grateful than ever for my faith, for Jesus, indeed my Savior and to the Latter Day Saints, acknowledged as Prophet to the Muslims and absolute example to the Buddhists (hear Dalhi Lama) and to the Hindus (hear also Mahatma Gandhi, giving witness and inspiration to fellow people of India as well as British colonialists). The inspiration for me in this ‘scripture reasoning’ is that when sacred texts are shared in a relational way, then there is little reason to debate. Positivity within this group becomes a positive contribution to our city.

Enough already. I see little need for more modernizing of our Holy Bible. More important is that we be in receptive posture to receive God’s Word for our worship and for our life. Sacred texts speak to us. No need to contort scriptures to please each and every one. Holy writ is not about us. It is about the One who is above and beyond.

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This is what I was trying to say before it all disappeared!

---

[i] Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola, Tell it Slant 3,2,     https://www.overdrive.com .