“Who touched me?”

Today’s Gospel from Mark 5:21-43 helps to knock me off my self-assured perch. I spent time thinking about the woman who suffered from haemorrhages for 12 years and the words of Jesus, “Who touched me?” When I reach out and touch him, do I hear Jesus say, “Who touched me?” Do I reach out? Do I touch him? Do I feel power come out of him and healing me? Maybe I need to embrace my own vulnerability, as a wise person said recently. Maybe I need to experience the same desperation and sense of unworthiness as the woman. As one who is highly organised, I find it very difficult when things go wrong. Yet, the strange thing is, I can often thrive in the midst of chaos. It is like when I am no longer in control and dependent completely on another. It is not a good feeling. But these are those moments when I have no choice but to place my trust in God and allow the Spirit to see me through. It is like the moment when I feel the utter emptiness of the woman, that space that is truly open to the healing power of Jesus. It is then that I hear the words of Jesus, “Who touched me?” Not very clearly, but sufficiently to know that even I can surprise God. This reflection reminds me of how I need to constantly take seriously people’s requests for prayer, instead of simply replying, “Yeah, sure.” In the end, I need to allow my trust in the healing of Jesus to grow ever deeper. May we all embrace our vulnerability and trust more in the healing power of the Jesus and sense him asking, “Who touched me?”