Theological Foundations for Inner Healing in the African Context: A Seventh-day Adventist Perspective of Health and Wholeness

Diói Cruz, DMin

Abstract

Introduction

During my childhood I had the privilege to meet and interact with my Afro Brazilian great grandmother. Her name is Gertrudes Abreu da Cruz, granddaughter of an African slave. In 1871, the princes Isabel of Portugal signed the Law of Free Birth, declaring that any child born to a slave woman after 28 September 1871 would be free, making my tataravó (Portuguese for great grandmother), a free woman. One of the memories I have from her is the way she used to "heal" us by offering water with sugar when we were frightened or injured, and, spreading water with salt on our wounds, or just kissing the place where it was hurting. She knew exactly what herb or combination of herbs and leaves we should use for any type of health problems. She couldn't read or write, but for us children she was an expert healer. Although she couldn't cure my wounds, every time I got hurt while playing outside I would run to her arms for relief. When health is lost and life is broken we want to be made whole again and we often seek a cure. To be cured is to eliminate a problem so that it no longer exists. Sometimes we can be cured, but if we cannot be cured perhaps we can be healed like my afro-Brazilian tataravó did to me. Often, traditional healers are not able to cure but can certainly provide comfort by healing-as presented in the next session. The purpose of this paper is to explore a biblical understanding of inner healing, it analyzes how the Bible and Christian writers define inner-healing, it examines the African understanding of health and wholeness, and concludes by presenting missiological bridges for a meaningful and effective Seventh-day Adventist mission approach which will improve health and wholeness in the mother continent.