"Healing Love", by Dr. James Marcum (re-posted with permission)

The following article was re-posted with permission from Dr. James Marcum of Heartwise Ministries.

"I am writing this on a beautiful Easter Sunday. The sky is a perfect blue and the sunlight is giving energy and warmth to the world. My thoughts are focused on the healing power of love. The love that emanates from God. We may learn about this by having a relationship with the Creator. This is in our original design and I believe when we do not have this connection the brain and body are under stress and the subsequent adverse chemistry. The world is too often focused on what we can do when it comes to healing and not what God can do. I think about all the money being spent on new medications and genetic research. Are we getting better? Are we being distracted from real truth?

"Someone came into the office with a bag full of supplements, many of which I was unfamiliar. I explained that anything we put into our body, whether this be food, a medicine, a supplement, herb, or even the inputs and thoughts of the mind. It all has some effect on our body. We might not understand the physiology, but there are changes. Modern medicine focuses on individual chemical pathways, reductionism, but I want you to think about the complexity of the body and how everything interacts in ways we might not understand. But, in my experience, even though I do not understand all the physiology, God’s original recommendations have merit. Love is one of these recommendations.

"As I observe the sun today which allow the leaves to undergo photosynthesis giving oxygen for us to breathe and giving the energy to form sugars, I realize that God is always taking care of me. Is love a treatment for this world? Absolutely! Love is more than a feeling, more than hugs and kisses, more than a rose. It involves serving, being with each other, listening, caring, putting the needs of ahead of our own, seeking a relationship with our Creator. God is love and to know God is to love God. Love is definitely involved in healing.

"I remember hearing the story of a child being in the middle of a street and a car approaching. The child was full of fear and stress. A nearby onlooker had no fear but jumped into the street to remove the child from danger. Love casts out fear. Fear, phobias of all sort, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, all produce damaging chemicals. It is estimated that 1:6 suffers from anxiety. Having love in our life is part of the treatment. Love decreases adrenaline, cortisol, inflammation, raises our ability to reason and is a healing belief.

"On Easter our desire is to have love in our life and learn how to have a healing relationship with our Creator and each other. The most important healing event the world has ever known is being celebrated today. This ultimate act of love gives us the healing prescription. I see many who focus on modern medicine and this is needed at times. Many point out the importance of a whole food plant based diet. This is important as well. Others help out with improving the mental health and eliminating stress and fear. This is as important as the food we eat. We must, however, start with the relationship with our Lord which will lead to us understanding love a little bit more each day. This is where the healing starts. Everything will fall into place after this. Love is a treatment for the world. Something to be re-emphasized this Easter."