The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.
Shakespeare had it right as usual. The bad guys grab the headlines, while the philanthropists and heroes hardly get a slot on page 10. Newsworthiness requires sensationalism – more prevalent in evil than good.
When Adam and Eve decided to eat the forbidden fruit, they instilled into our genes and human psyche the knowledge of good and evil. Invariably the evil in humanity enjoys all the publicity.
Of course, In His immeasurable love, God gave an element of balance to the evil heart of humans which may also be the element of self-preservation of the species, when he instilled in that one forbidden fruit the good with the evil .If we had only gained knowledge of evil from the tree, we would have wiped ourselves out long ago.
And yet in the good there is also a further dimension which works for the long-term welfare of humanity, and which not only goes beyond the call of duty, but surpasses the pride that sometimes goes with philanthropy.
This is expounded by Paul in the Bible in his first letter to the Corinthians about all the elements of divine love listed in Chapter 13. And, more so to the Galatians, the nine aspects of the goodness of God presented to us as fruit of His Holy Spirit. This will only operate in us when we have received the Spirit of the Triune God (Galatians 5:22 ).
It is not for us to judge whether the good we see in others is human goodness or the divine fruit of the Spirit operating.
The milk of human kindness
I had the privilege of seeing the milk of human kindness as well as the goodness of God operate in the hospital where I was recently admitted after a physical crisis.
They came from far and wide. They were the medical staff and the patients with whom I shared the ward. And they touched my life in ways that speak of sharing, caring and concern. In them I saw the greater love that never hesitated to go beyond the call of duty.
It all started a week earlier when I nearly collapsed with fatigue and confusion.
Hilary, my wife, took me straight to Emergency at the Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital.
Having arrived, the outpatient doctor did not hesitate to put me on an intravenous drip, and concluded that I had severe dehydration. At this stage it did not matter much to me what happened as I felt near comatose. I was admitted to ward 4C.
During that night I was too weak and riddled with pain to move or be moved. I raised the head and foot-ends of the bed with extreme difficulty. I didnt want to trouble the night staff, so I sat bundled up, drifting in and out of short bouts of sleep.
Over the weekend the drips continued and the attention was given to me with care and gentleness. I learned very quickly how silly I was that first night. These people were so ready and willing to assist to the smallest need.
Next morning I heard a gentle voice saying, Mr. Jacobs, Im your doctor and I will be attending to you to try and find out the cause of your acute anaemia and vitamin B12 loss.
More acts of kindness awaited me.
One nurse, a fine young woman from Ixopo in the Eastern Cape, helped me with utmost care and professionalism in some difficult moments.
A day or two later I was rather surprised by the fact that the surgeon who did the scopes, took the trouble after hours to find out how I was and to inform me of his findings.
Testimonies of divine intervention
And then there were several nurses and sisters who also told me about the happenings in their lives. All these people opened up to give me testimonies of divine intervention.
One of these sisters told me of healing from a heart problem. As a young girl she was always tired and sometimes fainted. The doctor advised heart surgery, but she didnt tell her parents. However, her grandmother found out about the problem and gathered the whole family to pray right through the night. When she returned to the doctor, he was amazed to find nothing wrong with her heart.
A patient in the bed opposite me was admitted with a severe bout of lung congestion. When we knew each other a little better, I learned that he was a born again Christian. Ben gave me a remarkable testimony of divine intervention in his life.
I was diagnosed with cancer in the stomach and a quarter of it was removed. Several years later, I started experiencing some severe pains again. Cancer was found to be spreading throughout my stomach and bowels, and I started a course of chemotherapy. But after a while I stopped and went to our pastor for prayer. The congregation carried me high in their prayers.
After some time, I felt it necessary to report to my doctor how much better I was. Extensive examination determined that I was completely clear of cancer!
Then there was the young man in the bed next to mine, who came down with a virus in his blood.
How did this happen, I asked
I dont have the faintest idea. I just developed a fever and the next day I was rushed to hospital.
He seemed to be a fine fit young man of about 29 years old and he stirred my curiosity. Standing next to his bed after enquiring about his progress, I referred to his girlfriend, and during the conversation he asked, Mr. Jacobs, how can you be sure you are marrying the right person.?
Well, firstly I prayed and asked God to guide us into a relationship if it was his will. The bottom line in my opinion is to pray about it and ask for guidance. As I see it, there is no harm in the childlike asking for confirmation. Then pray for each other and work with self-sacrifice by both for stability in your marriage.
This may have been my little portion of goodness which I shared with him.
Good and evil in all humanity
Here were people who shared as fellow patients, not only the bad things that they had gone through, but also the good things for which most of them gave due credit to God.
And the hospital staff, from surgeon and physician to nurses and cleaners showed an attitude of going beyond the call of duty, also not hesitating to testify where God intervened in their lives.
There is good and evil in all of humanity, but where the good was predominant it shone through with greatness. In our lives we have the choice of will as to whether we will act in goodness or in evil.
The deeper life of bearing the fruit of goodness of the Holy Spirit works through us when we surrender our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ.
The goodness then is not my will anymore, but Thy will be done. It is a goodness that can sacrifice self and overcome evil not by might or by power, but by the Spirit of God.
My appreciation goes to all those who shared their lives with me and brought me much encouragement. It behoves us to pray for those who work under difficult circumstances in hospitals to bring relief to those who are suffering.
0 Comments