BENNY HINN AND THE WOMAN IN THE OLD STATION WAGON

She drove across the country to Dallas in an old battered station wagon to attend a Benny Hinn 'Miracle Crusade' in Dallas. Her husband had Parkinson's disease, so they chose the miracle healing route rather than using conventional medicine. For a couple of years leading up to the road trip, she had contributed thousands of dollars to his ministry.

She was convinced that if Benny Hinn could actually lay hands on her husband, he would finally be healed.  It was a cold winter morning when she loaded her bedridden husband and their three dogs in an aging station wagon and made her way to Dallas.

They checked in at a nearby Motel 6. It took at least an hour to maneuver her husband into the room, take out the dogs, and ensure everyone was fed.  Her husband could not eat much due to the progression of his disease.  Parkinson's is not fatal, but the simplest task is impossible in the final stages. They don't die from it, but rather with it.  Swallowing difficulties often result in aspirating fluids/food into the lungs, leading to pneumonia or other pulmonary conditions.  Many with Parkinson's also have dementia in the final stages.

Finally, she could go to bed and dream about her husband being whole again.

The following night, they were disappointed when he wasn't called on the stage for the healing portion of the service.  They attended the next night with the same result.  On the third night, he was finally called forward and lined up with about 10 other people who were there to be cured of various diseases and conditions.  Finally, he was called onstage where Benny placed his famous hands on his head, and quickly pushed him and his wheelchair off the stage.

On the ride back to the motel, she realized her husband was not going to be healed.   She reasoned that either she didn't pray enough or didn't believe diligently enough, or perhaps she was being punished for her sins.  After spending thousands of dollars and driving thousands of miles, she was almost out of options.

Benny Hinn is a well-known faith healer who has made billions of dollars convincing followers that he could heal them.  He claims to be a conduit of supernatural acts given to him by God.  There have been numerous investigations into his ministry, which have revealed that the cases of people being 'healed' were unfounded.  Yet, millions worldwide continue to tune in to his TV show and attend his stadium-sized revivals. Research has shown that most of his contributors are elderly women living alone.  Many of these women have spent their life savings in desperate hopes that they or their loved ones would be healed.

After a restless night, she checked him into the hospital, where I managed the Rehabilitation Unit.  He was admitted to Rehab after being medically stabilized from severe dehydration and pneumonia.  We wanted to give him a chance to improve his function through intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Unfortunately, the advancement of his disease made any improvement in his condition impossible. His wife visited him every day and kept praying for improvement. After a few weeks, she heard the bad news that he would be discharged.

I've thought about this woman from time to time. Her steadfast, though misguided, faith is admirable.  And against all odds, she held on tightly to hope.  At the same time, I think about the millions of people who are so easily manipulated by con men.  They continue to believe in them, even when facts show otherwise. It's much easier for the mind and heart to be fed beliefs rather than taking the time to thoroughly research a subject before coming to a well-informed conclusion. We seem to want easy solutions, which sets us up to be victimized.  And when it's proven otherwise, pride seems to block us from admitting we've been manipulated.

In my mind and heart, this explains everything about today's political climate.