This week I completed and defended a thesis to obtain my master’s degree in theology. The thesis was about salvation—a Latin-derived term that implies health, wholeness, and safety. I reread the Bible from its beginning to end to glean everything it had to say regarding salvation.
Over the years, I have met many patients burdened with fear and anxiety or depression. I can attest that Hebrew and Christian scripture—and I suspect, the sacred texts of most if not all religions—affirm the conclusion that God has always been and will always be in relationship with us. When we acknowledge and participate in this relationship, we begin to experience healing and wholeness. Developing conscious contact with God lessens our fears, calms our emotional states, and improves our physical well being. This salve (or salvation) is accessible now. And forever.