by the Rev Michael Savage (retired), St Mark's Church, Utley

“HELLO, how are you today?” is a question we sometimes ask when meeting someone.

The answer can be anything from “not too bad” to “do you really want to know?”.

All of us have our not-too-bad days right through to our really good days. Then there are days when things simply seem to get on top of us, and we don’t know which way to turn or what to do. Sometimes the problem is health issues, sometimes it’s just life in general.

Tuesday (Oct 18) was St Luke’s Day, in memory of St Luke, the “beloved physician”. It is a day on which we give thanks for and pray for the work of the medical profession, currently under so much pressure, but to which we owe so much and for which we have much cause to be grateful. It is a work inspired and often initiated by the Christian church, for example in the great London hospitals which still bear the Christian names given by their founders.

It was Jesus himself who during his earthly ministry offered “life in all its fullness” and who asked when a sick man was brought to him “do you want to be made well?” This is why many are called into the medical profession even today. And also why many churches offer prayer for healing during and after services. This is also why here in Keighley teams from the churches in the town offer prayer for healing each Saturday morning in the area adjacent to the bus station.

Making men ‘whole’, which is the simple meaning of the word ‘salvation’, is the task of the Christian church, and as we bring our brokenness to Him, we can find wholeness of life. Why not bring your not-too-bad days to Jesus, to be made whole?