To discuss the broken place of pain, we must start by acknowledging the universality of pain and the many forms it takes (body, mind, and spirit). From the grief we experience at the loss of a loved one, to the anxiety and depression so often clouding our minds, to the chronic illness and pain which beset our bodies, pain is a part of all of our lives.

Then we must explore the character of our God as one in the business of healing that pain (a.k.a. Jehova rapha – “the God who heals,” Exodus 15:26). In Psalm 147 the psalmist depicts God as being actively involved in healing our pain: rebuilding broken cities, bringing exiles home, healing the brokenhearted, bandaging wounds, supporting the humble, and blessing children. Luke 6:17-19 describes Jesus doing very much the same thing (“He healed everyone”). What might it look like for us to put our trust in a God who heals? And how might we join him in that healing work in the lives of others?