On healing

The Healing

In the land of Aram - where Syria is today - there once lived an old general who was known wide and far for his courage and strength in battle. One day, this old man became ill and could not have contact with other people, not even his own wife…

He heard from his slave that there was a man in her land who could heal the illness. So the old general gathered a great column of his followers, 10 talents of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, 10 ceremonial robes, and a letter of introduction personally written by the king, and set out to find this great healer.

After a long journey and many adventures, he reached the house in which the healer lived and he called out to be let in. He stood there with all of his followers, with his treasures and with the letter of introduction written by his king, and he waited. But no one noticed him. He became impatient and somewhat nervous. A servant opened the little side door, approached him, and said. “My master instructed me to tell you to wash in the river Jordan and you will be healed.” 

The general thought he was being made a fool of. “What?” he exclaimed. “That’s supposed to be a healer? The very least he could have done was to come himself, call on his God, do a long and complex ritual, and then touch every sore on my body with his hand. That might have helped me. But no, this quack tells me I’m supposed to bathe in the river Jordan.” He turned away in rage and went home.

Now that’s really the end of the story but since it is a fairy take, it has to have a good ending. So…

As the old general was making his way home, the slave came to him again and spoke soothingly to him, “Dearest Master, if the healer had required something extraordinary of you, you’d have done it. If he had required that you sail in a ship to far lands, that you worship strange gods, that you give up your wealth and go into contemplation for many years, you would certainly have done it. But he only asked of you that you something ordinary.” The general graciously allowed himself to be convinced by her.

He made his way to the river Jordan, still very cross indeed, and bathed sullenly in its waters, quite against his better judgement. Against his expectations, a miracle happened, and he was cured.

When he arrived home again, his wife was amazed to see him healthy and wanted to know all about what had happened. “Oh,” he said, “I’m feeling pretty good, but other than that, nothing special happened.” 

p. 218 in ‘Love’s Hidden Symmetry: What makes love work in relationships’ by Bert Hellinger et al.