Mike Parsons –
Union of spirit, soul and body
If we do anything that contradicts loving our bodies, we need to apologise for that. Our body is an equal partner within the union of spirit, soul and body, so we must work together in harmony. I personally operate within the cells of my body to ensure health and well-being. But if I do something that contradicts that—if I am careless—then I take responsibility for it.
For me, this often happens with accidents in the garden or workshop. But one particular experience stands out.
In the tunnels
While on holiday in Vietnam, we visited the Cu Chi tunnels—an underground network built by the Viet Cong near Saigon, where thousands of people once lived. They were incredibly small, only about two foot six high, making it difficult for me to move around. The tunnel was dark, 100 metres long, with exit points every 20 metres. I was about 50 metres in when the tunnel made a slight turn that I couldn’t see.
In the darkness, I slipped, headbutting the floor. I took the skin off my chin, nose, top lip, forehead, and eye. My eye socket was bruised, leaving me with a big black eye, and there was blood everywhere. At first, I wasn’t sure what had happened—I just felt wetness running down my face and thought, “Oh no, I’ve cut my head open.”
Eventually, I got out of the tunnel and had to deal with the fear and trauma immediately. I didn’t want it to take root, so I consciously started smiling, refusing to let negativity set in. When Debbie saw me, she reacted with concern, asking what I had done. But rather than panic, I focused on staying calm. I found some water, washed off all the blood, and assessed the damage. I looked like a mess, but I was determined not to let fear, worry or anxiety take hold.
I knew it was my fault—yes, it was an accident and I had slipped, and because my elbows and knees were too close to the tunnel walls, I had no way to stop my fall—it was just a two-foot-six bang into the ground! But what mattered was how I dealt with it. I immediately worked with my body, ensuring there would be no infection. I washed the wounds with water from a bamboo spout—who knows what was in it—but I consciously chose the reality that there would be no infection and that my body would heal quickly.
I dealt with the trauma. I released the trauma immediately. I worked in cooperation with my body, and within less than a week the whole injury had gone and I had no physical marks. I had thought “I’m going to come home with a great big scar on my face” but actually I did not. I had to capture my thoughts, because I was thinking “how long is this going to take to heal?” but then I chose “No, I’m going to work with the cells of my body to repair themselves quickly.” And that’s exactly what happened.
People in the tour group were amazed. ” Well, you healed quickly!” And I did, within less than a week. But I did not want (a) anything to hinder my enjoyment of the holiday or (b) any infection. Some of the Canadian ladies kept offering me antiseptic and antibiotic creams, saying, “Here, you should use this.” But I politely declined. I wanted to let the wounds breathe because exposure to air often speeds up healing. I was intentional about working with my body rather than just assuming healing would happen on its own.
Miracles are a lesser way
Many people believe in healing but don’t necessarily know how to cooperate with it. Some rely on gifts of healing, wanting someone else to lay hands on them and make everything better. While gifts of healing do exist, they are not a guarantee. Some people believe that Jesus died so they could be healed, but they don’t necessarily understand how to work with that truth. They expect healing to happen in a moment—instant and effortless.
Miracles do happen, and I’m not saying they don’t, but miracles are actually a lesser way of living. God’s desire is for us to live in health, not just to keep receiving miraculous healings, or relying on others to heal us, but to learn how to walk in health as children of God – because that is our inheritance.
Denial isn’t the answer
Sometimes, we don’t fully understand why healing doesn’t manifest for someone. We don’t know what’s happening inside them—emotionally, spiritually or physically. I’ve visited and prayed for people who were terminally ill and who insisted, “I’m not going to die. I completely believe I will be healed.” But sometimes, something didn’t feel right. There were moments when I sensed I couldn’t fully agree with them because, deep down, it felt like they were not being real – that they were in denial rather than in genuine faith. Christian Scientists, for example, tend to deny the existence of illness and sickness altogether, but denial isn’t the answer. We have to learn to engage with our bodies, to cooperate with them, and to work through the process of healing.
Sons of Issachar 