Time To Heal by John August Swanson
(used with permission)
“Gentle rain from heaven” is a quote from Shakespeare: “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath; it is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." Our mission is a simple one: to ease suffering and to reflect to people through these “drops of sound” the beauty that is present within their own depths. Many times the harp does sound like gentle rain dropping on the leaves and petals of a flower. When playing for patients in ICU, they have asked if it was raining outside. Beauty, peace and reverence are an integral part of the healing process. Every person is received as a vessel of the light of God. When people relax and move into a place of letting go, they may experience a state of peace, and healing is released deep within the soul. The ground that the healing vessel of our work stands upon is the well known Prayer of St. Francis: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace..." and the Holy Scripture Matthew 25:36 “…I was sick and you visited me.”
We discovered the beautiful art of John August Swanson while we were students of the International Harp Therapy Program (IHTP). On a side trip to Old Town, we found Mr. Swanson’s work in a shop and were immediately drawn to his images of God’s light and love moving in and through people.
Here we see one of his paintings, Time To Heal, in which two musicians are playing at a patient’s bedside. The harp is a physician of love that ministers to all people, healing body, mind, soul and spirit. The harp has a long history of healing, deeply rooted in the human psyche that connects people to God. Some people experience healing by simply looking at the instrument. The harp carries spiritual power, and the gift it brings to patients and families through the beauty of its sound is one of hope.
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