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Friday, March 18, 2016

Henri Nouwen and me on caring, etc.

This morning I opened Nouwen's book, "Out of Solitude," to this:
Every human being has a great, yet often unknown gift to care, to be compassionate, to become present to the other, to listen, to hear and to receive. If that gift would be set free and made available, miracles could take place. Those who really can receive bread from a stranger and smile in gratitude, can feed many without even realizing it. Those who can sit in silence with their fellow man, not knowing what to say, but knowing that they should be there, can bring new life in a dying heart. Those who are not afraid to hold a hand in gratitude, to shed tears in grief, and to let a sigh of distress arise straight from the heart, can break through paralyzing boundaries and witness the birth of a new fellowship, the fellowship of the broken.
So many things whirled through my mind.First of all, I do believe it is true we are all broken in some ways. I believe that the brokenness opens a way for the seed of God within to sprout and grow and become Itself in us.

Then my mind turned to the modern view of people totally immersed in their phones and tablets and not each other. It is a bit alarming that many are losing social skills for they only "know" others electronically.

I cannot help but see pictures in my broken heart of brutal actions of people acting from their limbic brains and not their higher brains and hearts.

I could go on for pages just naming the paths that have gone astray. I will refrain from that here. Enough said to note we are not all in alignment with the above quote.

Yet, I do see wonderful things shifting to real life and to caring. I pray a new wave of caring, compassion and genuine relationship wells up all over the globe.

I think it would do us well to contemplate and journal on the Henri Nouwen quote above and remember when he says "every human being..." we are the ones of whom he speaks.

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