| "body"> | | | | the Source of all healing. Trying to heal yourself |
| "Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of | | | | without acknowledging and connecting with your |
| the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper | | | | Source is like trying to operate a car with an empty |
| appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, | | | | tank of gas--you won't get very far. |
| praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my | | | | However, when we take a Christian view of Reiki (or |
| body." Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I | | | | other energy healing techniques) and learn some of |
| want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the | | | | the methods through which God's healing Grace can |
| leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this | | | | come to us, we become "not merely hearers of the |
| all over town. Just quietly present your healed body | | | | Word, but doers" (James 1:23). |
| to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions | | | | Imagine continuously praying to God to heal you of |
| of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not | | | | obesity, not realizing that God, in His infinite wisdom, |
| your words, will bear witness to what I have done." | | | | has inspired some of the great books, DVDs, |
| Matthew 8:2-4 (The Message) | | | | motivational audio, personal coaching programs, and |
| Is such healing the stuff of mere Biblical history, | | | | teachers around the world to supply you with all the |
| performed once and only by Jesus himself, some | | | | information you need about healthy diet, exercise, |
| 2000 years ago? Or is healing (even dramatic healing | | | | and detoxification. (We merely need to clear the |
| like in the Bible verse quoted above) meant for us | | | | channel of our own consciousness in order to be able |
| today? | | | | to "let in" the presence of the healing answers we |
| Many Christians are hearing about a healing technique | | | | are looking for.) |
| called "Reiki". But what is a Christian view of Reiki? | | | | But even more than this, God Himself is also always |
| As a Christian, I believe that the healing power of | | | | personally available to you as the Inner Voice, Inner |
| God--the healing power of Jesus--isn't simply historic | | | | Presence, and the deep inner joyful experience of |
| in nature, meant to be a mere "belief"--or an ancient | | | | love, peace, and harmony that characterize the |
| tale to be retold in church on Sundays. | | | | experience of communion with God's Holy Healing |
| The same power that Jesus used to perform his | | | | Spirit. Merely being still and "knowing that I am God" |
| miracles, the same power that raised Jesus from the | | | | (Psalm 46:10), and relaxing into the deep well of |
| dead is available to us today, and not just "in theory", | | | | God's Loving Presence can often be enough to bring |
| or "in principle"--not even "in belief"--but for real. This | | | | about the change in consciousness necessary for |
| healing power is available to us in its fullness right | | | | total personal healing. |
| now, right here, and right where we are--if we but | | | | In a sense, we are partnering with God to help bring |
| know how to "tune in" to it and get "in the flow" of | | | | about healing. God cannot bring about an end to |
| it. | | | | world hunger, for instance, until we become loving |
| One of the great challenges Christians find in | | | | and compassionate enough ourselves (through |
| accepting the possibility of radical healing (especially | | | | prayer, meditation, study, service, fellowship, and |
| "energy healing" technologies like Reiki) is many think | | | | other ministries) to become a conscious "channel" for |
| that if they actively participate in bringing about the | | | | God's grace to flow. |
| healing of body, mind, or spirit, that this fact alone will | | | | A Christian view of Reiki thus can include the idea |
| tarnish the image of Jesus, and will "dumb him down" | | | | that one of the main purposes of hands-on healing is |
| to being merely a human being with "some healing | | | | to help us "clear the channel" of our perceptions so |
| powers". | | | | that we may more fully hear, feel, know, and realize |
| On the other side of the equation, a Christian view | | | | the Truth of God's Presence and God's Will. When |
| of Reiki (or other energy healing techniques, possibly | | | | we are in harmony with the Divine in this way, healing |
| including acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic) | | | | can more easily flow to us and through us, out into |
| may include the belief that one who practices it or | | | | the world. |
| participates in it is eliminating the need for Jesus, and | | | | Becoming a conscious place for healing to flow really |
| is creating a secular theology where God and Jesus | | | | strikes at the heart of what a Christian view of Reiki |
| are no longer necessary. Sometimes this erroneous | | | | is all about. Though "energy healing" can seem weird |
| belief is expressed as "I can just go ahead and do | | | | and new-agey to some Christians at first (probably |
| this healing myself, and I guess I don't really need | | | | because this type of healing is still not very |
| God anymore to work through me." | | | | commonly practiced in the Christian community), I |
| But, participating in your healing is quite different (in | | | | believe that it is one of the many ways Christians |
| my opinion) than being the Originator and Chief Cause | | | | can further the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. |
| of your healing. God can never be replaced, as God is | | | | |