Daughter, be of good comfort

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

Luke 8:43-48 King James Version

I don’t know, I’ve always loved this New Testament story. I love the idea that even though Christ is pushed and jostled by the crowd, still he feels the bleeding girl touch the hem of his garment and virtue run from him into the girl. I love that he says to her, “Thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace.” It doesn’t matter what you do or do not believe but the idea that there is something above and beyond the throng, that we must stretch ourselves to touch, that can nurture us and leave us in a state of awe; art or music or nature or cosmic love or love of God or whatever it may be, something that can heal us and make us whole - well, I don’t know, I just find that so essential and so beautiful. It is genuinely aspirational.

Much love to all,

Susie

The painting above is of Jesus and the Woman with the Issue of Blood by Paulo Veronese. Below, I don’t know.