Naming as healing.

Healing was a main locus in the ministry of Jesus. There are so many instances in the Bible where he manifested this in healing people who had faith and believed. Some asked for his forgiveness and he had mercy on them. In the West African Region, there are many stories of healing, sometimes even called miracles. My personal life story is one such miracle, which I would present now.

Our names give us identity. In the whole Creation story in Genesis 1 & 2, God gave a name to each of God's creation. The West African Region is a male dominated one, and thus, the naming of the children is the first ministry of healing; giving identity to the child. But this is becoming an issue, except in Ghana, where mothers name their children, in others parts in West Africa, it is men who name their children; for example daughter of Tom, son Jack, etc., making the woman invisible. The name of the child tells the story and the circumstances surrounding his or her birth. In Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, children are named after the day, date, tribe, farm, etc.

I was born as a premature baby in 1952 when there were no incubators or proper medical facilities to ensure the survival of premature babies. Ours is a country where even now, the infant mortality rate is high (according to UNICEF studies in 1995 show100 out of every 1'000 babies die.) I am lucky to be alive, considering the circumstances surrounding my birth.

According to my late grand-mother, who was a village birth attendant, my mother was seven months pregnant and continued with the cooking, working in the farm, and washing clothes. One day she collapsed while she was cooking my father's meal at 10:30 p.m. My mother did not pay much attention then, until she realized that she was in full labor, ready to deliver. A community alarm was raised, and the women gathered. They first prayed, and prepared the instruments (the clothes, the bowls, the knife and scissors), the elements (oil, water and herbs). Even today, prayers form the basis of childbirth in the communities, homes and hospitals.

I was born at 10:30 a.m. on 24th August 1952; there was no weighing machine so nobody knew how much I weighted at birth. All I know is that my grandmother said "Yon could hardly fit on the palm of my hand!" My mother had lost two previous children before I was born, who were both girls. The significance of this story is that girls were not valuable in our culture at that time, boys were more valuable, and I was therefore named Marie Jilo. Marie in my language, means "the mother of many" and Jilo means "let this remain".

For the next three months after my birth, I was wrapped in a cotton cloth, soaked in olive oil, and kept in a jar. My head was constantly anointed with Donnie (animal fat) and olive oil to give me heat. I was taken out of the jar once a day for cleaning and feeding on breast milk and plantain juice. My life is a miracle, because all I know today is that I survived and I am alive because of the following reasons:

Community Healing

Women gathered when the need arose and gave support when it was necessary. Even today it is common throughout the West African Region that women support each other in times of childbirth and in the naming of the child. The passage "Come to me all who are weary an have burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, my burden is light". (Matthew 11:27-30) reminds us about Jesus' invitation for us to come to him in times of problems and he can set us free, if we have faith. The women did exactly that; by putting prayers before the delivery of the child.

Cultural Elements

Olive oil, burnt palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and Donnie (animal fat) are still used for healing. Other elements used often are herbs and clay to heal rash. "While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of a man Simon the Leper, a woman came to with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume oil ... what she has done will also be told in memory of her" (Matthew 26: 6-13)

The use of oil for healing affirms women's ministry as stated in the passage above. This is practiced through out the West African Region, except that the oils differ from country to country. Oils are used not only for healing but also as beauty products. Different types of oils are used for different types of healing and are sometimes mixed with herbs, clay and such oils including snake oil (boa constrictor, for smooth skin).

My vision for the healing of the world

My vision is to share information through improved communications and dialogue for better understanding and respect for various cultural, regional and religious practices. When I worked as a chaplain at the University of Alabama hospital, USA, I saw a lot of unnecessary surgeries. For example, children born with twisted feet and enlarged navels. In our region and my country in particular, those twisted feet can be treated with Donnie and those enlarged navels can be treated with Donnie, burnt palm oil, mixed with herbs and kola nut tied to the child's navel for a few days. We need to share these good practices that are inexpensive to bring healing to those who need it.

REV. MARIE BARNETT

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone

Regional Coordinator WICAS