Thursday, September 28, 2006

Healing the Bent Over Woman

A First Person Imagining from the Gospel of Luke 13:10-17


The road was dusty and I noticed every pebble, every crack under my bare feet. I saw the claw marks of chickens, the hoof prints of donkeys as I passed the empty marketplace, plodding to the synagogue. I heard the chatter of voices, of my family, but no one spoke to me. The youngest skipped ahead to throw stones along the road, my son and his wife walked stick straight ahead of me. I could not see above their legs, their smooth gait, a rhythm I couldn’t follow.

I slunk into the back of the synagogue, with the women, the old women, widows and outcasts, because my condition brought dishonor to my family. If I were righteous, they said, I wouldn’t be bent over. God was punishing me they said, for some transgressions rooted so deeply in the underbelly of my soul that I did not know what they were.

I couldn’t believe that was true and if any one looked into my eyes, they would’ve known that. But no one looked into my eyes. I was only the top of a head, someone to be looked over and ignored. It must have been two years since I’d spoken, and I was the only one who noticed, who mourned at all the absence of words. I had nothing to say and no one to say it to. The spirit that had crippled my body had paralyzed my soul.

When I was a child I’d loved synagogue, the chanting, the prayers, the burnt smell of candles and sacrifices. I was sure that the rabbis and priests kept God alive there. I came, always came. My family was devout, a model for our community. But I’d felt nothing for years; only the claustrophobia of the women’s section, the smell of perfume, the oppressive heat, and the whine of babies.

That morning I felt Jesus’ eyes bore into me. How he saw me, how he noticed me, I never knew. I’m sure my son wondered the same thing, and worried our family’s status would suffer as a consequence.

“Woman, come here,” said Jesus.

The dormant spirit in my heart leapt awake at his command and I obeyed. His hands on my shoulders were like lightning striking rock, breaking me open, and searing something black within me until it disintegrated, became ash and blew away at the sound of his voice.

“My sister, you are healed.”

I stood straight, like a curled new sprout of grain that opens tall. Then I said, “Praise to you, Lord, who heals body and soul.” My rusty voice traveled through the synagogue and echoed in the faces of the men and women. I stood tall, my voice no longer swallowed into the ground, swallowed into silence.

There was a clamor among the rabbis but I didn’t hear them. I stood by Jesus and there in his sphere of light, I felt whole, I felt cherished. I felt that God had loved me all along, especially in my suffering.

Then the crowd cheered and my son and the men from our village descended upon Jesus, ferrying him from the synagogue into the sunlit outdoors, the Sabbath disrupted with celebration. I stood straight as a pillar while the crowd swept past. The leaders fumed and rattled about in the synagogue until the last of us stragglers, the infirm, the outcast, shuffled and blinked into the daylight.

I stood, staring at the treetops I hadn’t seen in so long. The wondrous sky was dotted with clouds and the sun glowed like a golden crown. I stepped onto the path toward home. It was exactly the same, yet entirely new, as I was myself.



©Cathy Warner 2006

5 comments:

Brenda said...

Hello Cathy,
I very much enjoyed your first person story, Healing the Bent Over Woman.
I am an oral tradition storyteller from Burlington, Ontario and have been asked to lead a bible study for our Lutheran women. The story I chose is the bent over woman and I wonder if you would give me permission to use your story for my presentation. I am not being paid, but I assure you full credit will be given to you.
Thank you for your consideration.
Brenda Byers
www.storywyse.com

Rev Momma said...

Hi Cathy,
My name is Beth Anderson and I'm a pastor at Messiah UMC in Springfield, VA. I happened upon your site today and really loved your story of the Bent Over Woman. Years ago I did a lot of creative writing (in college as an English Major) but since then my creative focus went to sermon writing...I started a blog with the hope of writing for me more and as a spiritual practice. You can find me at http://revmomma.blogspot.com/
I haven't been as disciplined writing as I would like, but I'm slowly working on it.
I would also like to use your story of the Bent Over Woman in a Women's Retreat I'm leading for the women of my church--giving you complete credit of course. Feel free to email me at revbethanderson@gmail.com

Grace and Peace,
Beth

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy,

I enjoyed your First Person imagining of the Bent Over Woman. She has had a great deal of influence in my spiritual life.
I would like your permission to use reenact your story for a gathering of Sisters of Mercy at the UN, if I may?

Ellen Vopicka, Mercy Associate
elvoppicka@verizon.net

Anonymous said...

Hello Cathy....
I was blessed by your sharing of the bent over woman in story form. May God's Richest blessings find you and overtake you as He continues to use you for His Glory. I am sponsoring a three day "Woman, You Can Stand Up" Conference and was wondering if, with your permission, I could use this account that you have written with all credit being given to you for this wonderful work? Pastor Patricia
RevPat313@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Hello Cathy,

Blessings to you in the name of the Lord,
Thank you for your writing it has helped me to experience the text recognizing the awareness of Jesus and our need of him. I am going to do a re-enactment of this story at a conference your devotion has inspired me.

Pastor D
revdredden@yahoo.com