Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allow us to create an astonishing, faultless character that can deceitfully impress the reader. But it’s hard to hide our true colours when someone pushes our hot buttons.

Would it be wonderful when life squeezes us that the character which shows up would be prudent, wise and righteous?

This is a passage full of healing. First Jairus, whose daughter is dying. Jesus is on his way to see her, presumably to heal her, when their journey is briefly interrupted. A woman who had been bleeding for 12 years—a humiliating and socially ostracizing condition, touches his garment. “If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well,” she says. And that is exactly what happened.

“God’s timing is not our timing.” We have probably all heard that sentence, sometimes used to comfort; often it may just be frustrating.

Here we see it played out in a life and death drama. Jesus is on his way to Jairus’ house to tend to his dying daughter. The bleeding woman who is healed by her faith and her touch of Jesus’ clothing interrupts Jesus on the way there.

I must admit, I sometimes fall into the same trap Jesus’ friends and family fell into. When I hear that someone from my small Manitoba town has “made it big” somewhere in the world, it’s easy for me to discount the accomplishment. Why do we seem to think the amazing people all come from somewhere else?

In a very real sense, Jesus did come from somewhere else.

The details in this passage are striking. Jesus was very specific about what his disciples should take along, what they shouldn’t, what they should wear and how they should behave. As a mother of teenagers I must admit it’s been a long time since I’ve told my kids what to pack when they head out to a week of summer camp or even when leaving for two months of summer study. So the fact that Jesus gave his adult disciples such detailed instructions is cause for examination.

I love the back-story in this passage. It gives us a different view of Herod than what we might otherwise see. It also shows us how our faith must be in God alone, and not in who we know.

It’s no secret that who you know is sometimes more important than what you know. Whether it’s a job you are looking for, or a fine you don’t want to pay, or a loan you want a good rate on, if you know the right person you can often get what you want.

I’m grateful to be able to turn to the pages of Scripture and let my heart be taught how to be ethical in a world that has lost its moral compass.

Every day we are formed to some degree by what enters our heart. Even if we are spectators rather than participants, the things we see and hear do affect us and can gradually change the way we make our own choices.