Back from hiatus!

Last week I admit I was negligent...I failed to post anything on Kehilla. I thought about it, but the warm Hawaiian sun just won me over. Vacations are certainly a time for renewal, as described in a sermon I heard recently, and I hope to pick up where I left off, here on Kehilla and in all of my life, with renewed strength and vigor. Admittedly, I may get little sympathy from those of you in colder climes while I was away, but I ask you to forgive me anyway.

Today I wish to speak about the role of faith in healing. There exists a scientific body of evidence to suggest that prayer does aid in healing, both in that those with strong faith and strong communities fare better in illness and in that praying for someone who is ill aids their recovery, even if they are some distance away and incapable of knowing about the prayer. Community support structures, i.e. family and friends, are essential to healing - many faiths encourage visiting those who are ill to aid their recovery for this very reason. Sometimes, where medicine cannot conquer illness alone, faith must come to our aide. Thus, when next you know someone in need of healing, say a little prayer for them.