Be Opened

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

This is an image of healing – a healer’s hands restoring hearing to a deaf man. I almost hesitate to say more, so as not to shape your perception. It’s a universal image, of one person healing another – that was my intention.

I’ve always been intrigued by hands-on healing techniques. There’s an element of mystery to the healing process which cannot be explained. The man shown here is not merely passive – he’s receptive, focused, an active participant. It’s a two-way energy exchange. Who is the more faithful in their belief, the healer or the healed?

The question is relevant, as this illustration was commissioned to depict a scene from the Christian Bible (Mark 7:34), in which a man who is deaf and mute is healed by Jesus. The touch of the prophet’s hands and a deep sigh toward heaven “opens” the man’s ears, and restores both his hearing and speech.

What does the deep sigh signify? There are several interpretations, all connoting the profound empathy Jesus felt with the human condition.

Stories of miracles abound in spiritual literature. Who in this world would not wish for divine intervention, the touch of a heavenly hand to relieve our pain? In ancient times when people could not read, repetition and exaggeration were common literary devices to facilitate retention and make a strong impression. Accordingly, it is by way of suffering and severity that these stories bear their transcendent fruit. Overcoming disability is a potent theme. As the saying goes, a healthy man has many desires, but a sick man has only one.

For all these reasons, I felt it was okay to dramatize the image and impart the feeling of a miracle. I tried to do this by painting visible currents of energy flowing between the man’s ears and the healer’s hands. Pale, soothing blues seemed fitting here, softened by gentle curves and subtle gradients. I rather like the neutral colors – it’s as if the energy is in the air, intangible but curative.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, imagining such things.

A good week to all!

D. Yael Bernhard

https://dyaelbernhard.com

Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!