Let the blood. That used to be the solution to almost every medical problem.
Bloodletting was the practice of cutting into a patient’s arm and draining out the buildup of “bad blood” that was thought to cause disease.
If that idea sounds primitive, it’s because it came from the ancient Greeks who believed the body was made up of four “humors”, corresponding to the four elements of the Earth: yellow bile (air), black bile (water), phlegm (earth) and blood (fire). The Greeks thought all illnesses were caused by either too little or two much of one of those four humors. So if an excess of bad blood was the problem, the solution seemed simple.
But as late as the 1800s, surgery was often performed, not by doctors, but barbers. Barbers not only dispensed shaves and haircuts, they pulled teeth, lanced boils and bled patients. In fact, the colors of the traditional barber’s pole represent bloodletting: red for blood and white for bandages. During a bloodletting, the patient would often grasp the pole to make the veins stand out, simplifying the cutting.
Keep in mind, doctors were scarce and poorly-trained. There were no antiseptics or anesthetics,either. Patients underwent incredible pain and often died from infection or the taking of too much blood. But people were resigned. Pain was considered a punishment from God and to endure it was good for the soul.
And there was much to endure in “humor therapy.” Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence, was famous for prescribing a combination of bloodletting, blistering of the body and induced vomiting. Patients were strapped to a chair suspended from the ceiling by a rope and swung violently to and fro until their harmful “bile” came up and they were “cured.”
Slowly, science overtook superstition and medicine began to advance quickly, beginning with the invention of antiseptics in 1865 by Dr. Joseph Lister who used carbolic acid to clean wounds and sterilize instruments. With rapid developments in technology and medical technique, bloodletting was finally abandoned. Regrettably, the spiritual equivalent is still practiced.
When hurting people seek help from Christians, the prescribed cure is sometimes worse than the disease. People with good hearts and bad information inadvertently worsen emotional problems with a dangerous mix of bad theology and even worse psychology.
The most damage occurs when we perpetuate the myth that all suffering is punishment from God. While it’s true “You’ll always reap what you sow” (Gal. 6:7) and “the Lord disciplines those He loves” (Heb. 12:6), it should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that much evil in this world goes unpunished while the godly often suffer for no apparent reason. The truth is, “He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does He deal with us as we deserve.” (Psalms 103:10). Telling people adversity is simply God’s way of zapping us back into line only intensifies their heartache with guilt, frustration and a twisted view of our Father.
Another problem arises when Christians communicate the harmful notion that spiritual wholeness is found in what we do, not who we are. Yes, service and sacrifice are the natural and expected response to God’s forgiveness, but some churches start by encouraging their people to take hold of the cross, then bleed them of time, energy and money, to a near-deadly degree. They preach that freedom from guilt and insecurity is just a matter of learning more, doing more and giving more. In such a setting, the vulnerable are swung from one emotional extreme to the other until they cough up what’s expected.
What’s needed, instead, is for all of us to offer the hurting a healing mix of love, patience and accountability. Next time someone needs release and relief, remember that true spiritual health is found in a personal understanding of Jesus and what He did on the cross. Snap theology and pop psychology can’t cover their guilt, fear and failure. So, let the blood.