The day he decided he loved us too much to see us mucking everything up. He loved us too much to watch us marginalize the poor and the social misfit. He loved us too much to watch us build up our financial, intellectual, and social resources as if they actually mattered. He loved us too much to watch neverending cycles of abuse plague our families. He loved us too much to see us continue to hate those who looked, thought, or acted differently from us. He loved us too much to see us ruining relationships with one another out of self-centeredness. He loved us too much to allow us to be controlled by guilt and shame when we screwed things up.
That day was a little over 2,000 years ago in a backward, Middle Eastern province under Roman occupation.
That day is also today. In Rwanda. In Mumbai. In Juarez. On Skid Row. In Westwood. In Napa. Praise God that he keeps entering into our lives each day. In the brokenness, pain, and suffering throughout the world and throughout all time - God is present.
"To us who cry out from the depth of our brokenness for a hand that will touch us, an arm that can embrace us, lips that will kiss us, a word that speaks to us here and now, and a heart that is not afraid of our fears and tremblings; to us, who feel our own pain as no other human being feels it, has felt it, or ever will feel it, and who are always waiting for someone who dares to come close - to us a man has come who could truly say 'I am with you.'" (Henri Nouwen, Compassion 23)And what should our response be to this God who chose to be displaced on this earth, who intentionally entered into the suffering of the world, who asked to be called Emmanuel or "God-with-us"? Paul gives us his thoughts: Go and do likewise.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love... then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love... Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves ... In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude Christ Jesus had: Who did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:1-8)If Jesus who is God humbled himself to the point of becoming human, experiencing pain and death, just so we would know how much he loves us, how much so should we also enter in to places of suffering and discomfort and show those who hurt that God has not forgotten them.
1 comment:
hey caroline! I just found your blog linked from eric's. I've read most of your blogs and they've been really encouraging! Thank you for writing :) I also love Henri Nouwen- I read Letters to Marc about Jesus this break. Thank you for sharing more of what he wrote, too, and for actually finding the time amidst your grad studies to read the many other books you quote. I hope that grad school is going well! Continue blogging, please :)
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