Reasonable Dissent

Hospitals and the Supernatural

It’s been an interesting week for thinking about my usual topics. There’s been a little bit of family medical stuff going on, and it’s the first time since I really started thinking about religion that I’ve been in this kind of situation.  The things that seem just normal to most people are very odd to me indeed now.

For one thing, as you may know from the FAQ, I’m from a Catholic family, and it would seem that not very many of my family members have strayed from that. I’ve reached an age now where politely refusing the communion being brought around the hospital room is no longer a silly kid trying to rebel. Now, it’s cause for self-righteous glares and smug comments. It’s interesting the things you pick up on as an adult that never seemed to be present. Do you ever think back on little exchanges from your childhood that didn’t make a lot of sense until you reconsidered them as an adult? It seems to happen to me all the time. Hospitals tend to have a lot of praying going on, and that’s really no problem to me. As long as the doctors have a sane approach, patients and families are more than welcome to soothe themselves as they please. And yet, it can never stay that way can it? I happen to be an only child, so if there are ever any tough medical choices to be made for my parents I get the final say. But it makes me wonder about what would have happened in my family if one of my aunts or uncles had been so openly not-Catholic in that situation. Especially with Catholicism, the rules are very well defined. Do this, and do not do that. If one of them disagreed, how do you resolve that? It’s an unfortunate example of the problems that come with a dogma – you don’t get to think for a given situation. The answer is already decided.

The other thing that comes to mind is a brush with the supernatural I had. Well, not really of course, but it almost could have been. One night after coming back from the hospital, I was getting ready for bed and I felt a sort of brush on my shoulder. Nothing much, but it seemed quite more than a breeze. Yet, I was alone. I go back the next day and find the shocking information that…. nothing special happened last night. Yeah, the odds were against me on that one, but what about the odds overall? How often do we dismiss sensations as nothing, simply because nothing special is happening at the time? Is it so hard to imagine that a few people might feel that brush around the same time as a loved one dying and forever sing the miracle of ghost contact? In fact, I’d be surprised not to see those events correspond at least some of the time, to some of the people out there. Yeah, nothing happened to me, so I forgot about it (until now). But if something HAD happened, think how moving it would be!

It’s also a reminder of the old question “How much do you humor them?” When someone close to you is struggling and they want you to pray with them, how much do you do? I’m pretty sure that it helps no one to be harsh and confrontational. Maybe you agree to stand there respectfully and listen. Maybe you take the next step of some sort of participation. If you grew up in the tradition, you could probably even lead the prayers if you were asked to. It’s a little different than being asked to lead a prayer before dinner. These people need serious comfort in a very hard time.

Yes, I’m all over the place. It’s just that sort of time right now. Plus, I have a cold I just can’t shake, so my brain is a little fuzzy and hard to follow. Anybody got any miracle cures?

Tags: hospital