The Art of Medicine and the Wounded Spirit
The Art of Medicine. The phrase certainly implies nuance.
Not long after completing my medical training, I formulated my own definition: it is the discipline where knowledge, pattern recognition, and hypothesis testing merge with compassion to repair and restore the human body.
The practice of medicine immerses us in the full spectrum of the human experience---joy and suffering, health and grief. We are called not only to address physical illness but also to enter into and engage deeply with the pain of the emotional and spiritual wounds of those we serve.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23
Dallas Willard, a philosopher and spiritual writer taught that we live from the depths of our hearts----the essence of our spirit and will. This connection between our inner life, our outward experience and how we see the world is why we are advised to guard our hearts diligently. It is about what we have become in the depths of our being. It deserves protection.
In every individual, there exists a ‘Ruach’---a Hebrew word meaning wind or breath, symbolizing the spirit. The word embodies power and energy. This is our life force that drives us with passion and zeal into the world.
The Complexities of the Wounded Spirit
Most people intuitively know what a crushed spirit looks like. It is the person with no desire for life, the one who finds little to no joy in it. It could range from apathy to discouragement to despair to losing all desire to live.
On my own journey through medicine, lay ministry and in my personal life when I encounter people with a crushed spirit, I no longer ask, “what is wrong with them?” I ask, “what happened to them?”
Understanding the human condition is complex. What happens to someone to cause a crushed spirit? Why do we struggle so much?
The late Tim Keller, a renown and minister and theologian, helps us understand 5 aspects to a crushed spirit
Physical Aspect: The relationship of the body to the emotions is understood. Passion, anger and fear can be felt physically in our body. Psychological stress can cause digestive issues and headaches.
But this link is bidirectional. Illness and physical disability can lead to deep emotional unhealth with anxiety, depression, and irritability. If you lose all desire to live because something is wrong with your body, that is a sign that your spirit is crushed.
Emotional/Relational Aspect:
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 12:25
Human connections are essential for emotional resilience. Emotional and relational health requires community, support systems and personal interactions. Small acts of kindness can lift a crushed spirit alleviating feelings of depression and isolation. Meaningful relationships can foster emotional recovery.
Moral Aspect: Feelings of guilt and shame can deeply affect one’s sense of self-worth and overall mental health. If we know we are not living right, or not living up to some standard, an internal struggle ensues that leads to deep emotional unease. This moral conflict can lead to a profound sense of unworthiness and despair, intensifying the emotional burden of a crushed spirit. Compassionate self-reflection and professional guidance can help alleviate some of this form of distress.
Existential Aspect:
Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief.
Proverbs 14:13
There is an existential angst that permeates deep under everything about us. It arises from a deep contemplation of life’s finite nature and inevitable losses. All parties will end at some point. It is the sadness that comes from understanding that everything we cherish—our relationships, health, achievements, even love itself will eventually be taken from us in death.
We try not to think about it, but deep down we know it.
If you do not believe in a creator and believe you are here by accident, then when you die, that’s it. You are gone. So have as much fun as you can. If your origin is insignificant and there is nothing after death, then what significance can your life have?
In the absence of God, while human life might find significance within the context of the universe, it would be ultimately meaningless because the universe itself would lack inherent meaning.
If we cannot find some deeper purpose and significance in our daily lives, then under all the laughter is sadness.
Faith Aspect: We all have a faith. The faith of the atheist is that there is no God.
In the Bible, the heart means much more than it does in English. Within the heart are our core commitments, the things we most deeply love and trust and put our hope in. It is where we find our purpose.
Every person sets their heart on something that becomes their ultimate hope and trust and that something bares their deepest longings. It has to be set on something because that is the kind of beings we are. It is the thing that you are looking for to make you happy and feel significant. When that something is threatened, deferred or taken away your spirit will be crushed.
On the Road to Understanding the Science of Healing and Hope
Let us shift our thinking for a moment.
The body reflects the thoughts of the mind, and the mind acts as the conduit of the heart.
Seems simple but we are all complex, multifaceted beings. And a lot of us have been locked out of the healing mode for a long time. If we cannot escape the darkness, we can easily spiral downward into helplessness and despair. We all need hope to live.
What about this thing called “spontaneous remission”. We have all heard of it. The person who has an incurable chronic illness or terminal disease who defies the odds and fully recovers. Sadly, as physicians, we dismiss it and move on because we cannot find a way to explain it. Even the term, “spontaneous” is ridiculous because it implies there is no cause. But we know, everything has a cause.
What if by healing one aspect of the wounded spirit we heal another? What if we need to heal our emotional/relational wounds before we can heal our physical bodies? Maybe we need to heal our wounded faith aspect before we can heal our existentially wounded spirit.
Like a light in the darkness, hope is a powerful and essential force in healing by boosting resiliency. It gives us strength during tough times. Hope allows us to see possibilities and to find purpose even when facing a serious illness or trauma. It gives us the will to live. Is there a common thread in these people who experience spontaneous remissions? I have to believe it is this hope along with finding wholeness and changing their relationship with themselves.
How Do We Ultimately Heal Our Crushed Spirits?
Why is it so hard to heal a wounded spirit?
How do we stop our hearts from putting our ultimate hope and trust in something we can lose?
Everyone searches for affirmation, joy and purpose in life somewhere. God has placed this longing in our hearts to drive us to Him. There are only 2 directions we can go in our quest. We can find life to the fullest vertically or we can exhaust ourselves trying to find it horizontally in this world. But true fulfillment does not come from the material world. It can never fill the void in our hearts.
Life is filled with wonderful things to enjoy like nature, beautiful sunsets, music, art, and loving relationships. But these things by themselves can never fully satisfy the human heart. You see, they were simply and carefully crafted to point to the One who alone can fulfill our deepest longings.
Once you understand this you will understand that God’s beautiful story of redemption is the ultimate kind word that we desperately need. He came into this world to rescue us from ourselves and the brokenness of the world. The peace, power and purpose that only He can give will finally fill that void and heal our crushed spirits.
Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart 2021, 20th Anniversary edition
Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, sermon preached December 5, 2004 (Gospel in Life Podcast episode 1,016 Jan 29, 2024)