Today’s column tells the story of three characters: one imaginary, two real.
Our first character, Curdie
George Macdonald (1824–1905) introduces us to imaginary Curdie in his fantasy, “The Princess and Curdie.”
While bow-hunting, Curdie shoots a white pigeon. Assuming the pigeon came from the castle, Curdie humbly returns it. There, Curdie meets a withered old Princess. She heals the pigeon and prepares Curdie for a quest.
A rose-fire transforms Curdie’s hands to distinguish the real nature of the people with whom he shakes hands. What kind of person or beast is this? Instantly, Curdie knows.
Friend, in a world where deceptions abound, such knack is invaluable. And, in a world where truth and beauty may also hide, what a gift! Now, post-rose-fire Curdie recognizes the old princess as a resplendent beauty.
Friend, perhaps sometime you’ll read the story.
Our second character, Laënnec
Now, let’s investigate another person, “Laënnec.” We find: “1781–1826, French physician, inventor of the stethoscope.” Even though Laënnec died at 45, he shaped our world.
“Stethoscope” comes from the Greek words “stethos,” “chest,” + “skopein,” “to explore,” “to scope out.” Doctors do not have Curdie’s transformed touch, but their stethoscopes give them access to otherwise unknown secrets – like tuberculosis.
Laënnec’s hard life
Tuberculosis claimed Laënnec’s mother when he was five.
Note: still one hundred years after Laënnec’s invention, tuberculosis killed one out of seven people living in the United States and Europe. A true pandemic.
After his mother died, Laënnec lived with his grand-uncle. Although Laënnec’s poor health included lethargy, fevers and asthma, he found consolation in music and countryside living. He became proficient in Greek and Latin. We wonder, did he coin “stethoscope?”
Medical training
Another doctor/uncle inspired Laënnec to be a physician. At 18, Laënnec completed medical studies becoming a surgeon. Remarkable.
Then, he attended other universities – taking first prizes in medicine and surgery. Laënnec trained with excellent physicians – even Napoleon’s own personal doctor. He wrote academic papers. Eventually, Laënnec edited the “Journal de Médecine.”
Advances despite challenges
When Laënnec’s uncle died from tuberculosis, financial difficulties arose and his personal health periodically collapsed. Although Laënnec’s private practice grew, not being appointed as a senior physician at any of Paris’ major hospitals brought disappointment.
Once, a new client, a buxom young woman, came to him suffering from breathing problems. Normally, he would have put his head to her chest. But, as a devout Catholic, modesty prevented him.
Instead, he recalled a children’s game with a wooden tube. He placed such a tube, an early version of the stethoscope, on her chest and was startled. He clearly heard her heart and lungs.
Soon, other doctors used his instrument to revolutionize diagnosis.
Laënnec’s personal life included marriage to Ms. Argon, 1824. She suffered a miscarriage. They had no other children.
In 1826, Laënnec developed a fever, a cough and shortness of breath. Returning to Brittany, he asked his nephew to use a stethoscope on his chest and tell him what he heard. His nephew described sounds the great chest physician had heard a thousand times before. Ironically, by his own invention, Laënnec realized he would soon die from tuberculosis.
Two take-aways
Job 5:14 tells us we are “born to trouble as sparks fly upward.” Despite Laënnec’s being devout, intelligent and creative, his birthright included trouble. The physical consequences of our first parent’s rebellion continue – sometimes lightly, sometimes devastatingly.
But, God’s command to take dominion also continues. He gives us abilities to ameliorate the physical impacts of sin. What progress we have made – physically – in many areas. For example, in 2018, only 542 deaths in the United States were attributed to TB, only 1/6,244. About one hundred years earlier, it would have been 1/7!
Diagnosing the spiritual world
Let’s go beyond Curdie’s touch and Laënnec’s stethoscope. Is there a spiritual stethoscope that gives us an ability to understand what goes on in the spiritual realm?
1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned… 16But we have the mind of Christ.”
And so, we come to our third character, Jesus Christ.
His mind
Jesus laid aside much of his glory during his incarnation. Still, Scripture describes Jesus penetrating the minds of those with whom he spoke. He had no need for Curdie’s hands or a spiritual stethoscope. If we are startled, it is only momentarily. The One who formed our neural pathways and gave us the gift of language knew/knows our thoughts.
His heart
But, when we put the spiritual-truth-stethoscope of Scripture on Jesus’ heart, what a surprise! Matthew 11:29: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus, this is the only time you reveal your heart in the Gospels. For all your resplendent glory and dazzling holiness, no one is as approachable as you.
Still, friend, beware.
Jesus, you are not indiscriminately “gentle and humble” to everyone. Your gentle humility is for those who come to you, who take your yoke upon them. For others, you pronounce “Woe” (Matthew 11:20-29).
However, Jesus, for those who repent, your humble heart is never outmatched by our sins, doubts and failures. You cannot un-humble yourself toward your own any more than we can change our eye color. You don’t meet us at our place of need, you live there. The way you reveal yourself to us in the Bible deconstructs our intuitive predilections and startles us with One whose infinitude of perfections is matched by your infinitude of humble gentleness! (Note: These paragraphs in this section are edited from “Gentle and Lowly,” Dane Ortlund, p. 20-22).
Christian, and those who will yet believe, find rest for your souls. The One who has pierced our appearances/false identities has chosen to give many access to ultimate reality — his heart – and a future hope, no sorrows in heaven.
