In September of 1986 CBS News anchor Dan Rather decided to try out a new way to sign off his evening broadcasts. Right before saying good night, he added a two-syllable word to close out the nightly news.

Courage.

By that point Rather had reported on an awful lot of tragedies. As a local affiliate in Houston he covered Hurricane Carla in 1961 as it whipped through the Gulf of Mexico, before making landfall in Texas, killing 43.

By 1986 he’d spoken to important national news during crucial moments like the JFK assassination, Watergate, the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

His one-word synopsis of the daily news made for a mantra of sorts. It represents one way to view the challenges of life.

It asks us to recognize the difficulties we encounter. It begs us to face fears head on. It implores us to talk with others to understand. It demands we seek to solve the problems of our day, together. It requires just one little thing to press on.

Courage.

After using this signature line Rather was ridiculed by fellow newscasters, parodied by others. So much so that he discontinued it after only a week. Courage, in the face of adversity can be hard. And not always understood.

On his last broadcast for CBS Evening News, on March 9, 2005, Rather returned to his signature line one last time. Suggesting he had asked us to show courage, amid challenging news, all the while.

Then
Today’s gospel features another story of bravery. In it we are introduced to a woman with a heap of problems. She suffered from a blood disorder that would not go away. Because of it she’d hemorrhaged for a dozen years. The unnamed woman had gone to physician after physician and found no cure. Doctor’s attempts to heal her had likely been invasive, painful. She didn’t have much to show for it.

Then, as is now, there was no universal healthcare coverage she could rely on. The woman paid for all attempts at healing out of pocket. By the time we meet her she’d spent all she had. No money equals no healing. It was as simple as that.

The nature of the woman’s ailment meant money wasn’t the only cost she faced. Cultural norms of the era dictated that women, during their monthly cycle, were ritually unclean. This led to restrictions on what they could or could not do, at certain times, for much of their lives. For this woman, whose condition never improved, the limits never went away.

It was a Scarlet letter of sorts people could see.
It was a Scarlet letter people would judge.

It was a pre-existing condition no one would desire.
If only someone would cover her.

But no one would get near. Her future prospects were dim. She might as well be a leper, tossed out of community as she was.

But then?
Enter Jesus.

As Christ spoke to a crowd the woman had an epiphany. Word of his miracles were getting out. “If only I could touch his clothes, I will be healed,” the woman thought.

Touch.

The very thing society said she could not do.
Was the very thing that would make her well.

If only I could touch.

Perhaps it was time to break some rules.

Her insight was not without risk.
What would Jesus say?
What would the crowd then do?
She was, after all, unclean.

Healing could be in order, yes.
She prayed it was.

Though punishment, from the law-and-order crowd, could be too.

The woman gathered all the strength she could muster, as physically unwell, financially broken, socially isolated as she was, and reached out, touching Christ’s cloak.

Courage.

And immediately, upon touch, the woman was healed. A lifetime of trauma and pain, instantly gone.

Sensing the healing, Christ turned to the crowd, asking “who touched me?”

The woman approached Jesus, knelt with fear and trembling, shared her life story. Shared what had led the two to meet.

Jesus listened.
Jesus did not judge.

Jesus said go in peace, daughter.
Your faith has made you well.
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For courage is an outward sign of an inward faith.
Her act of faith had made her well.

The woman, in this moment, was not made merely physically well. She also received a status update, from unclean to clean. She could now participate, fully, in community. She could now touch, and be touched, by others. Without fear of transmitting anything some might judge.

While we don’t know how this story ends, we do know this:

She had been healed.
She had new life.
She had new community.

Where before she had none.

Now
Similar to this woman, each of us, at times, bleed out, in various ways, and are in need of healing. We too on occasion have Scarlett letters people may judge. Scarlett letters of –

Greed,
Guilt,
Addiction,
Apathy,
Envy,
Pride.

Just to name a few.

In a society where healthcare is still not universal – I pray one day soon we fix that – Christ says extend your hand, touch. Your faith will make you well.

Christ offers to restore us to spiritual wholeness with our God.
Christ offers to restore right relationship with each other.

Christ asks that we step out of our isolation, reach out and connect, with others, to be made physically and mentally well, through –

Friends,
Family,
Therapists,
Doctors,
Clergy,
Coaches,
Clinicians.

We know some healing happens here.
Some occurs in the hereafter.

For all healing begins, when we call on our God, seeking help from each other along the way.

As the Catholic church in America debates, again, who is and is not worthy of the eucharist I can only lament.

If only we can touch Christ’s body.
If only we can touch Christ’s blood.
If only we can take Christ into ourselves.

For it is then when we become whole.

There should be no in group, no out group for that. If only.

If Judas could commune with Christ, he who would betray, so can you and I.  If only.

Here, as with many ELCA congregations, we practice an open communion table. All are welcome to come and receive the gift of God’s grace. All are welcome at the Lord’s table, no matter who you are, what you’ve said, what you’ve done.

All are welcome.  All means all.

It takes faith to extend your hand. A faith that, when put in action, can be summed by one little word.

Make it a mantra.
A way to deal, with the challenges of life.
Just reach out, touch, and receive.

Courage.  Amen.