Rampant Healings

(Sixth in a series on the return of Jesus Christ)

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041917.cfm
Acts 3:1-10
Luke 24:13-35

Basil kept pulling off the road to park Noah’s car on their ride through the Garden of the Gods. Not because of the magnificent views. Basil wanted to review the arrangement of the components under the hood as Noah explained the parts of the automobile to him. Noah read from the auto’s manual as Basil, periodically, drove.

“We could just do this back in our garage,” Noah said, annoyed at Basil’s incessant curiosity, and wondering at the oversized man’s mumblings as he gingerly moved his huge hands all over the engine parts. 

Basil had picked up driving rather quickly. He preferred that all the windows be down, not just the driver’s side, where his left arm comfortably angled, elbow out. Once again, he pulled aside, the tires crunching on the gravelly shoulder of the road. The windshield sprinkler fascinated him, and he insisted they get out and see how it worked.

“No, this is more efficient,” Basil insisted, poking around near the wiper reservoir. He followed the tubing’s path to the wipers, after removing the plastic casings that hid and protected fragile parts, revealing the wiper line runs. “The automobile is incredible!”

They had initially set out to meet up with a large group of folks who had begun meeting in the amphitheater area of the Garden. Noah heard rumors of healings taking place there. Their journey provided the opportunity for Basil to learn to drive, and now the destination appeared to be forgotten.

“What are you mumbling about?” Noah asked.

“Mumbling?”

“You are talking to yourself.”

“No, I’m not,” Basil said surprised. He looked at Noah.

“I can hear you, Basil.”

“You can’t hear who I’m talking to, though.” He continued staring at Noah. 

“Oh.” Noah shook his head. No, he didn’t know. Basil went back to his fumbling and mumbling under the hood. 

Back in the car, Noah turned to Basil before he pulled back into traffic. “Who, exactly, were you talking to?” 

“We were talking about you,” he said.

“We?” 

“It’s kind of private,” Basil said.

Basil drove over the last hill, and they could see a huge crowd of people gathering at the amphitheater. The parking lot was full, but about the same number of cars were leaving as arriving, so a spot opened right up.

“I’m surprised you don’t know about cars,” Noah said as they exited the vehicle. He hadn’t thought about it until now. “Don’t you have them in heaven, or something like it to get around?”

“Nah,” Basil said. “Heaven’s not like that.” Noah got tiny bits of information about Basil’s life before Jesus and the saints returned to earth a little over two months ago. The resurrection of the body, Basil poorly explained, took place when the saints returned. He didn’t get into too many details about God in heaven, a face to face experience, and God on earth, a physical encounter with Jesus as the Christ, but the difference was clearly important. Noah was confused about the whole thing.

As they walked with the arriving crowds, a string of folks coming back from the amphitheater moved by them. Almost all the passers by, returning to their cars, were beaming, singing, walking arm in arm. Noah noted that many of the folks walking with he and Basil were injured or sick in some way, but their demeanor of happiness matched those leaving. Those coming back showed no illness or deformities. The healings going on here, at first glance, were clearly effective.

“So, you are a resurrected person, right?” Noah asked.

“Brand spanking new,” Basil said. He pounded his chest, and laughed out loud. 

“Once resurrected, you can’t get sick, then, or injured?”

“I think you’d call that an oxymoron, Noah.” Basil reached out and hugged two people walking back. He wrapped his huge arms around both of them at one time, an elderly couple who seemed to recognize Basil. The woman had tears in her eyes.

Basil explained to Noah when they continued their walk. “Her husband had cancer. I told them to come here.” 

“I thought you didn’t know about this place?” 

“No, I just said I hadn’t been over to see it.” 

Noah frowned. That was definitely not how he heard it. “Did you hear about it from Jesus?” Noah was angling to talk about Basil’s secret conversations.

“Of course,” he said. “That’s part of this whole sainthood thing, Noah. We’re all in constant conversation and communication with each other. The Holy Spirit coordinates all kind of stuff.”

“Oh,” Noah responded.

“It’s fabulous, Noah, but because you want to know, it’s a different fabulous from heaven.”

When they arrived at the high side of the amphitheater, Noah took in the scene. The conglomeration of people included folks sitting in small groups and praying all over the place. Several people gathered at the stage area in larger clumps, with a few joining and leaving at the same time. He counted about a dozen groups just on the stage, recognizing one or two of the saints who seemed to stand at the apex of a circle around a revolving course of people who stood in the center of the groups.

“Wow,” Noah said. “Are the saints performing all these healings?”

“No, it’s God doing the healing, in Jesus’ name,” Basil said. 

“So, you could do this?” He ignored Basil’s deference to Jesus, because what he could see clearly involved some action on the part of the people leading each group. 

“You don’t have to be resurrected to call upon the restoration of a broken body.” 

A group of three teenagers approached Basil and Noah. They looked agitated, and were looking back and forth at each other as they walked up.

“What help do you need?” Basil asked them. He placed his hand on Noah’s right shoulder as he talked to them. 

They talked over each other, banging into each other's arms as they fought to force out the words. Noah stood stiff, parked in position a little to the front of Basil due to the large hand holding him in place. Finally, the scruffiest and youngest looking of the three, a boy about sixteen, who stood at the left, managed to voice the trio’s intention. The boy looked at both Basil and Noah when he spoke.

“We don’t wanna get high anymore,” the boy said. His voice was slurred, but his request was clear. The other boys voiced their agreement. 

Basil squeezed Noah’s shoulder, and Noah looked over at him.

“Who can repair these boys?” Basil asked Noah.

Noah was on the spot. He hesitated.

“It’s Jesus Christ, isn’t it?” the boy who spoke said. “Would he help us?”

Noah looked over at Basil who smiled at him.

“Yes,” Noah said. 

Basil gathered the three boys into his arms, with Noah included. Noah smelled dirty hair, the stench of marijuana in their clothes, and their arms grabbing over him at Basil. 

Basil stepped back. He held each boy by the shoulders, and reached his head forward, kissing each boy on the top of their filthy heads.

“I’m going to go with these boys for awhile,” Basil said. “They’re going to need me. You go on ahead.”

“Thank you,” the young boy who spoke out said to Noah as he left.

Noah started to say, “I didn’t really do anything,” but he held back the words. “God loves you,” he said instead. Noah watched the four of them walk out the path back to the parking area.

After Noah came to his senses, shaken up by the encounter, he had a sour thought. He began patting his jacket pockets, and his pants. He lifted out the car keys, which were still there.

“Whew,” he said out loud.

“You didn’t think I would leave you stranded,” he thought he heard Basil say. He looked around, but didn’t see him. 

“Oh, yes I did,” Noah said out loud. 

He nervously eyed those nearby, worried that someone might hear him talking to himself.