It was Adamo, the Belgian musician, who used these words in one of his songs. As Christians we know that the world is in pain because it is under the power of the evil one. Things aren’t as they should be because of God’s curse following the sin of Adam and Eve. Even as he was leaving the Garden of Eden Adam could have sung ‘The world is in pain’! But all is not lost; there is a miracle cure, and we have been entrusted with it. All around us people are weighed down by the evil that makes them suffer in various ways. But we can identify the root of this evil. The diagnosis is sin, and the prognosis is a serious one- eternal death.

We are surrounded by the signs of the universal disease of sin; if society is going from bad to worse that is because of an incorrect diagnosis and because of ignorance of the cure. I am reminded of the doctor on holiday who, on the beach, noticed the early signs of cancer of the skin on a holidaymaker. She went up to him quietly and, introducing herself, insisted that the person see a specialist when their holiday was over. In the same way, we cannot keep quiet because we have the answer- the remedy is Jesus, the Saviour- this is the Gospel of Salvation which has been entrusted to us. Now is not the time to keep quiet; we know that the remedy works, don’t we? Hasn’t Jesus transformed our lives? Haven’t we been given the blessing in place of the curse? How can we not share this with others?

So let’s begin to be witnesses – yes, I used to be sick, but I didn’t know what was wrong with me. It was not easy for me to acknowledge my sinful state and need of pardon. But I have found both the Healer and healing. So let us share with this sick world the message of the Cross – ‘by His wounds we are healed.’