Let's see what 'Spiritual Wisdom' we really have Available...

I floated this one a minister's only forum to see what responses I got. Let's try it here and see what relevant opinions pop up.

"Yep... I'm one of them. I'm one of those outdated, spiritually oppressive, neanderthals who still preaches against women cutting their hair. Any of it. I'm the kind that preaches against burning it off, cutting it off, trimming the dead ends or... well... you get the picture.

...Almost...

Here is where I need the opinions of the Esteemed Spiritual Scholars among us. I have a fairly young Mother, about 35 or so, who recently was placed in the hospital for a dire medical situation. It was a hospital stay that required that she lay there for a few weeks immobile. Now, the interesting part. Due to the amount of time she lay there, in spite of the fact that they tried to keep it 'up', her beautiful long hair became hideously tangled. Upon her release her family (and eventually most every female Saint in our Church) tried to untangle it.

Now, almost 4 months later (as well as numerous 'anointing with oil' sessions, a few all night prayer meetings and 3 extended fasts by this precious Saint) what we have is a rock hard ball of hair about the size of a softball strategically covered up by other parts of her hair.

Now this precious Saint is pleading with me for an answer. She has the same conviction about cutting her hair as I do. Yet, we also know that she has to do something now or else she's going to end up bald (the 'ball of hair' is now pulling the good hair out).

Do we consider this a medical situation such as a cancer that affects the hair? Do we take the 'no cutting' stance and hope that it eventually just falls out on it's own? Do we play a 'Solomon' and 'divide it' down the middle with a sword and see what happens... perchance we can salvage some of it? Obviously we take it seriously and consider the hair issue as much more than a matter of 'preference'.

I need to make a decision. She needs to have an answer. I'm interested to see what the illustrious Spiritual Scholars among us have to say...

... Your turn."