Abstract
The Bible was written and interpreted in a context, but is timeless and powerful in offering us wisdom and hope. In times of suffering, we can experience the therapeutic nature of the Bible in offering us strength and promise. I revisited my personal experience of my son suffering from a rare under-reported genetic disease in relation to my churchmate's unconditional regard for me, demonstrated through biblical letters during the 3 months following my son's diagnosis. The first letter will be shown and a discussion presented according to four themes: (a) helpful events while writing and reading the letter; (b) serving as a means of womanly social support; (c) being a way of reciprocal helping; and (d) adopting a perspective of strength while getting closer to God. This article ends by highlighting the importance of biblical letters as a means of counseling and as a prayer for God's love.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 13-22 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Poetry Therapy |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2010 |
Keywords
- Bible
- Counseling
- Genetic disease
- Helping
- Hong Kong
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
- Clinical Psychology