Cancer and the Religion of Love

``A cheerful heart is good medicine; but a downcast spirit dries up the bones, ''is an ancient proverb that speaks volumes about the connection between the state of mind and health of the body. It is a perspective comment on the link between health and happiness.

The inward happiness of a cheerful heart can give us the strength and courage to endure and to overcome ill health and other adverse personal circumstances. In fact, happiness does not depend upon one's material conditions or circumstances. When conditions become difficult and life becomes hard it is the inner disposition of an individual, his morale and spiritual strength which really matter; for that will determine whether the person will be victorious or sink under the weight of adversity.

Pain and sorrow are very much part of existence and as one writer put it: ``To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering.'' The other day, one young pediatrician who had just taken up a job in a hospital was shocked to discover during a medical test that she has breast cancer. This writer was at the residence of a senior government official who had won several awards for distinguished service but now afflicted by cancer. He was bitter and angry against God. ``I have led a righteous life and done nothing to deserve this'' he contended.

In the course of writing this piece I receive another bit of news: the young sister of a neighbour, ailing from the same sickness for a while had died. If only you look around you will see cancer is spreading like an epidemic and it is as dreadful as ever.

How does one comfort those who are in such unenviable situations? Human beings are poor comforters, but then how does one help these afflicted ones to face the challenge? Sickness and a serious sickness would inevitably lead to sorrow and anxiety. But it is no use getting angry with God; that is no solution. The Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization working among alcoholics, makes use of a prayer that is relevant to our subject. It runs thus: ``God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change , courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.''

This is far from resigning to a hopeless situation. It is accepting the suffering gracefully and even using it for a greater appreciation of life and its opportunities. Such suffering in fact turns out to be a motivation for living life to the full. The threat of death plays the role of a teacher, for it goads us into appreciating to the utmost that we have or can do today. Man's deepest need is to love and to be at peace. Living with the knowledge that we are going to die someday means that we may choose to give something to the world , In the process we develop an inner sense of worth that helps us achieve goals that improve the quality of life.. We find ourselves striving to have things work out well for ourselves and others.

Dr Bernie S Siegel MD has written a book, Love, Medicine and Miracles in which he says that a person who believes in a benevolent higher power has a potent reason for hope and hope is physiologic. Faith replaces worry with hope and hope revives and releases healing forces within the body.

Norman Cousins in Anatomy of an Illness says his experience of being a counselor at a medical school revealed that patients were reaching out not just for medical help but for hope to give them the courage to battle their disease.

Doctors are not usually inclined to ``try God'' in the initial stages of a man's sickness, but might hint at the usefulness of faith when the situation is desperate. Dr Siegel recounts from experience that it is far better to make a connection with the spiritual beliefs of the patient earlier when the job is easier. It is an acknowledged fact in all religions that faith has power to move mountains. Spirituality is the means by which faith building spiritual resources are put to use to speed up recovery.

In the 1930s, specialists in psychosomatic medicine began to learn that a host of physical illnesses were caused by envy, jealousy, self–centredness, resentment, hatred and fear. These are negative emotions which go against the laws laid down by the creator Each religion prescribes ways of eliminating the evil within: through meditation and prayer , through repentance and reconciliation True spirituality has a liberating influence, setting us free from our pride, selfishness , hatred , fear and such other negative qualities which hold us in bondage perpetually. For living the Life Abundant, we need to be set free from these dark elements Then we are free to love and serve as God intended.

``I am convinced that the only Hell which exists is the inability to love,'' observed the famous Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. Such people feel a profound emptiness inside.

``I feel that all disease is ultimately related to a lack of love or to love that is only conditional, for the exhaustion and depression of the immune system thus created leads to physical vulnerability. I also feel that all healing is related to the ability to give and accept unconditional love,'' concludes Dr Siegel giving case histories which demonstrated the wonderful healing power of love.