WOUNDED HEALERS
Scripture: And
wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the
marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his
cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6:56
Nearly 20 years ago as I was beginning my career in ministry
a friend gave me a copy of Henri Nouwen’s book The Wounded Healer. At the time I was reeling from the initial
blows of a separation and subsequent divorce and the only thing I knew for
certain was that God had promised to be with me no matter what.
Ultimately, time passed and wounds healed and my life has
emerged in wonderful ways that I could have never imagined. Over the years, I lost track of Nouwen’s book;
however, I was in a bookstore recently and saw a lone copy sitting on a table
as if it had been waiting for me. I
picked it up and flipped through the pages remembering how meaningful it had
been all those years ago and why my friend had recommended it to me in the
first place.
Needless to say, I purchased it right away as it is a
precious gem of a book worthy of every Christian’s bookshelf – and only 106
pages! Though geared toward “ministers”,
I highly recommend it to you for in a way, we are all ministers and we are all
wounded healers.
And that is precisely the point that Nouwen makes. We follow a Christ who himself was broken,
wounded in every way and it is because of our own wounded scars that we are
able to be filled with compassion for others; perhaps in ways we might never
have been able to otherwise. While we do
not know what the future holds, we can trust that our faith will lead us to new
life and brighter tomorrows.
Prayer: Wounded
Savior, thank you for showing us the way to compassion. Amen.
The Reverend Dr. Cathy Gilliard
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