Editorial July 27, 1974 Issue

The Wish to Be Well

Naomi Price

When Christ Jesus walked by the pool of Bethesda, he saw multitudes of blind and crippled people waiting to be cured. Out of all of these the Master healed one. But first he asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?"^{ John 5:6;} Without answering Yes or No, the man assured him that he certainly had made vigorous efforts to get his healing in the best way he knew.

Then, when the Master commanded him to rise and carry away his bed, the man responded promptly. According to the Gospel, this man displayed a strong desire to be well, seized his freedom when it was offered, and then used it without hesitation or reluctance.

"Do you want to be healed?" Today this might seem a strange question to ask someone who is sick or disabled. "Surely," one may say, "doesn't everyone wish to be whole and well?" But the fact is that an honest, thoughtful answer may not always be an unqualified Yes.

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