Читать книгу Beyond the Horizon - Harry A. Renfree - Страница 81

March 15

Eight years after graduating as a Doctor, Sheila Cassidy went to work in Chile. In 1975 during the military dictatorship of General Pinochet, a priest asked her to treat a wounded revolutionary, an act of compassion which led to her arrest and torture. After two months in prison she was deported and returned to the UK where she was immediately drawn into a life of frenetic human rights lecturing. In 1980 after trying her vocation as a nun, she returned to the practice of medicine and in 1982 was appointed as medical director of Plymouth’s new hospice— St Luke’s.

“In my spare time,” said Dr. Cassidy, “I do a bit of religious broadcasting and preach in churches and cathedrals, often on suffering and prayer. My belief in God gives me enormous strength and joy, and underpins everything I do. Daily prayer is as important to me as food.”4

Two words fastened themselves in my mind about her life—“care” and “prayer.” There was a young woman who loved enough, cared enough, to give her life and her skills in medicine to unknown patients in a slum hospital in a foreign, third world land. No wonder, with all the danger and the senseless torture by the secret police, she indicated that daily prayer was as important to her as food.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,” writes the apostle Peter in his first epistle, chapter 3, verse12a. Peter continues in verse 13: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” Apparently some evil men are, as Dr. Cassidy discovered. Then Peter adds this significant sentence in verse 14a: “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” Peter knew a good deal about caring as well. That’s what Jesus directed him to do—to care for Christ’s sheep and lambs in that time–stopping moment following the Resurrection when Jesus faced and restored a broken Peter who had denied Him three times before Calvary. After suggesting to Peter what it would cost him to care, Jesus invited him, “Follow me.” It did eventually cost Peter his life, but what a magnificent life, as Peter passionately followed the example of his Master in caring.

Of course, to care like that, you have to pray daily and fervently.