2/07/2010

John of God

Hundreds of people from all over the world arrive at the Casa de Dom Inácio every week. They come with all possible kinds of illnesses, many of them life-threatening, like aids or cancer. What draws them here and who have they come to see?

John of God is a man that for the past 48 years has performed miraculous healings despite the absence of any medical training and only 4 years of schooling. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday he attends to several hundred people each day, giving out herbs, prescribing crystal bed sessions, and even doing visible and invisible surgeries. He regularly heals people with diseases deemed incurable such as cancer, aids, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Remarkably, he doesn’t charge anything for his healings.



Over the years his reputation has grown such that hundreds of people from all over the globe are visiting the Casa each week, and during his rare visits abroad it is common to see many thousands of people filing in line to see him. In the past two years, TV and camera crews from ABC primetime, the BBC, Discovery Channel, Irish TV, and New Zealand TV have visited Abadiânia, an unassuming, small town in the middle of Brazil, to document the miraculous healings of John of God.

I learned about John of God from The Rev. Rod Welles, my friend and mentor. Rod has traveled to see John of God many times. This past February, Rod led the Adult Forum at Sts. Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) in discussions about healing centers. Entering into the discussions were individuals from the larger Wilmington, DE community and other SsAM members who also had traveled to the center.

I do not have the ability to describe to you their experiences of the healing they received. Sometimes healing of the body, sometimes their being, and sometimes both. To see actual pictures of the energy that surrounds the center, not visible by the human eye, but captured in pictures.

We have learned that there is a Spiritual Healing Center in Newark, NJ, of all places. A large group of us plan on making that journey.

I urge you to Google John to see what this is about. And, I will keep you informed about what I learn.

Snow as a Deterent

Nuclear Bombs. Hah!

If you want to cripple a society simply call forth Mother Nature. Lots of anything seems to do the trick.

This past weekend Mama rendered Washington DC immobile. Lots and lots of snow fell in the states bordering the Atlantic Ocean. From North Carolina north to New York City. A great Noreastern.

Delaware, the first state and one of the smallest, received from 25-over 30 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. Makes a pretty picture, if you are inside.

The State of Emergency was lifted this morning. Once lifted, non-essential or non-emergency vehicles were allowed on the road. Off I went to pick up more bird seed and cat food.

And, what is it with everyone buying bread and milk on Friday? There I was in the store buying nuts and raisins and iced tea.

Wilmington is snow bound. Church was canceled for this, Sunday, morning. Snow plows needed to find places to move the snow that fell on the city streets. People needed to shovel out their cars stuck on the streets, plowed in. Hopefully, operation Code Purple was in effect and the homeless men, women and children all had places to stay.

The suburbs always seem to fare better. There are lots of places to move the snow. In fact, in my neighborhood they were plowing in the middle of the night on Friday.

The snow started falling where I live at 4:30 PM on Friday. It kept falling until 3:30 PM on Saturday. Friday night was a restless night.

All noises seem to amplify in the snow. I kept wondering how much was falling and when could I start the snow blower in the am. The cats were restless as well, running around the house up and down the stairs, up and over my bed. Kathryn was spending the night away from home.

I remember the first time that I was "allowed" to use a snow blower. Until that time, it was shovel, shovel, shovel. Bend at the knees, lift with your whole body. Watch your back, stretch before and after.

My neighbor George Bowersox, now deceased, grudgingly let Jeff and I use his snow blower after his first heart attack. It was after a hugh snow fall. Everyone in the neighborhood was busy assisting the rest of us.

So, one of the first things I bought after my divorce was my own snow blower. A single woman does not like to feel helpless. Kathryn was living in Pennsylvania. The men in the neighborhood all had families to take care of. Their wives acceptance of assisting damsels in distress was limited.

I could not wait for the first snow fall. Of course, that winter none fell.

However, the following winter, there I was. One of the "guys", my face becoming crippling cold as the snow blew back into my face, my hands, hair and feet wet, no matter how wrapped up. My eyeglasses useless. Long warm showers after I was done.

Ah. I love winter.

As you get older this machine is a must. It allows one to "play" in the snow, but accomplish something as well. The driveway and sidewalks get shoveled. Access to the road ways. FREEDOM.

As I drove out of the neighborhood, I passed one house that was still snowed in. Two young men were "shoveling." Hah! There they were in flannel pants gently dipping shovels into the snow. They appeared to wonder how the snow was to leave the shovel. Where to put it? What wimps. They should have been outside yesterday.

In fact, that was most noticeable yesterday. All the teenagers were inside. Sleeping.

Older adults were outside cleaning up. Younger kids were outside playing with sleds, making snow people. Snowball fights.

Here are some pictures from the second floor of my house. The snowman below is now completely covered by this new snow fall. Just the tip of his head showing.