Un neurochirurgo americano si converte e scopre la potenza della preghiera, 13 luglio, 2011, http://www.uccronline.it

Tutto è iniziato dal dentista: egli guardava il viso teso del suo paziente mentre preparava l’ago per iniziare l’operazione. Allora il dentista ha detto qualcosa di insolito: “Vuole che dica una preghiera?”. Sorpreso, il paziente ha acconsentito. Il medico gli ha così messo gentilmente una mano sulla spalla e ha chiesto a Dio di preservarlo nella salute.

Il paziente era un neurochirurgo, David Levy, medico altamente specializzato di San Diego. E’ stato il primo momento in cui ha capito di volersi convertire. Ha così iniziato un percorso -in un primo momento incerto e goffo- di approfondimento dell’aspetto metafisico e spirituale dei suoi pazienti. Anche lui, come il suo dentista, è arrivato nel tempo a proporre una preghiera ai pazienti più in difficoltà. La maggior parte di essi si è mostrata riconoscente, e in tanti lo hanno ringraziato.

Questa vicenda è descritta nel suo libro “Gray Matter: un neurochirurgo scopre il potere della preghiera” (Tyndale House Publishers 2011), da poco nelle librerie americane. Ormai è diventato abituale per lui, dopo aver visitato inizialmente un paziente, chiudere la visita dicendo: «E’ mia abitudine pregare con i pazienti. Le dispiacerebbe se io pregassi con lei?«.

Ultimamente, dice, anche il suo team si unisce a lui nella preghiera prima di iniziare un intervento chirurgico. Nel libro racconta tante storie, incontri particolari e amicizie che ha instaurato con i suoi ex pazienti.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

A Surgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer

By Aubrey Beauchamp, R.N.

Special to ASSIST News Service

CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA (ANS) -- It all started in the dentist chair. Poised with a syringe in his hand, the dentist looked at his patient’s tense face as he braced himself for the needle to hit his tender gum.

Then the dentist said something unusual.

“Would you like me to say a prayer?”

Startled, the patient consented.

The dentist gently put his hand on his patient’s shoulder and offered a brief prayer, asking God to put him at ease and help him successfully finish the procedure.

The patient was Dr. David Levy, a neurosurgeon in San Diego. After that brief incident in the dentist chair, something began to stir in his heart. God began to prompt him to pray for his patients, just as the dentist had done.

Trouble was, he just could not get up the nerve to actually do it. How do you begin? How do you lead up to a topic like prayer? Medical School did not have classes on the subject. Although he felt the urge to pray, he also realized this was way out of his comfort zone.

And so began a journey - hesitant and awkward at first – of probing beyond the physical into his patients’ spiritual needs. The results astounded him. His patients didn’t laugh or get angry. On the contrary, they were appreciative. Many cried and thanked him.

In his recently published book, “Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time”, Dr. David recounts his first awkward moments of introducing prayer into his practice. After a while, it became easier.

Now, when seeing a patient in his office, after initial examination and discussions are done, he closes the visit by saying, “It is my practice to pray with patients. Would you mind if I pray with you?”

Although responses vary, many patients are grateful, especially when their surgeon prays for them just before surgery.

Although self-conscious of other personnel around him at first, soon he also began praying with his surgical team before a procedure.

After a while, praying with patients, family members, and his own surgical staff became routine.

Then, something interesting happened. One day, Dr. David was led to ask a troubled patient if there was anything in her life that was bothering her, some unfinished business. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed as she broke down and, sobbing, related some serious family problems. There were hurts, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment. After some discussion, the doctor gently led her through a prayer of forgiveness and repentance. It was a life-changing experience for both of them.

Today, Dr. David frequently pursues this line of questioning when seeing patients. Many times countenances light up, peace replaces tension and physical symptoms improve.

“Forgiveness,” he explains to his patients, “is not pretending evil never happened, and it is not calling evil good. Forgiveness is setting yourself free by not giving others the power to hurt you again every time you think about them. It is the best way I know to help your body continue to heal.”

In his book, Dr. David noted that many patients, who won’t listen to relatives or religious leaders, are often open to reconnecting with God when encouraged by their doctors.

“Gray Matter”, with its many detailed and interesting case histories, makes fascinating reading. Although written by a highly specialized medical professional - with some easy to understand technical explanations thrown in – his book is not only a page-turner, it has spiritual principles and guidelines that all of us can benefit from.