FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(05/20/2007)
Walk
Alongside With Suffering
Linh Phan
When
we were discussing the topic on “facing suffering” in a woman's group,
I recalled the book “ The Wounded
Healer” by Nouwen. That book challenged me to deal with the reality
of life in facing my own wounded ness and brokenness. I thought that being
a leader meant that I needed to have some understanding of people's pain
before I can lead. But the picture of the Christian leader that Nouwen
depicted is one who is constantly a contemplative person. He is able to
remain in touch with the world with a critical eye and also provide hopeful
signs for people's pain and suffering. As we face our own condition in
joyful time as well as sad time. We need not be afraid to encounter our
own sorrow as we need to be healed by God. We also need to walk along
side people and be there to allow them to share with us their sufferings
without being a ‘fixer' or problem solver, which we never can. Let me
share with you the following words which give me much hope in the journey
of learning how to be a servant leader: “ When we become aware that
we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into
a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions
of despair into signs of hope.”
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