Life of the Beloved by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Author:Henri J. M. Nouwen [Nouwen, Henri J. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL000000 Religion / General
ISBN: 9780824520632
Publisher: Crossroad Publishing Company
Published: 2014-11-26T06:00:00+00:00

BROKEN

The moment has come to talk about our brokenness. You are a broken man. I am a broken man, and all the people we know or know about are broken. Our brokenness is so visible and tangible, so concrete and specific, that it is often difficult to believe that there is much to think, speak, or write about other than our brokenness.

From the moment we met, we spoke about our brokenness. You wanted something about me for the Connecticut section of the New York Times. I told you about my writing as a means of dealing with my loneliness, my sense of isolation, my many fears, and my general sense of insecurity. When the discussion shifted to you, you spoke of your discontent with your job, your frustration at not having enough time or money to write your own novel, and your general confusion as to the course of your life. In the year that followed our first encounter, we became increasingly open to each other about our suffering and pain. In fact, the sharing of our deep struggles became a sign of our friendship.

You had to live through a painful separation and divorce and I through a long period of depression. You had many disappointments in your work and kept wondering about your true calling in life, while I kept being overwhelmed by the many demands made on my time and energy that often lead me to exhaustion and despair.

Whenever we met again, we became more aware of the brokenness of our lives. There is nothing abnormal about this. When people come together they easily focus on their brokenness. The most-celebrated musical composition, the most-noted painting and sculpture, and the most-read books are often direct expressions of the human awareness of brokenness. This awareness is never far beneath the surface of our existence because we all know that none of us will escape death—the most radical manifestation of brokenness.

The leaders and prophets of Israel, who were clearly chosen and blessed, all lived very broken lives. And we, the Beloved Sons and Daughters of God, cannot escape our brokenness either.

There are many things I would like to say to you about our brokenness. But where to begin?

Perhaps the simplest beginning would be to say that our brokenness reveals something about who we are. Our sufferings and pains are not simply bothersome interruptions of our lives; rather, they touch us in our uniqueness and our most intimate individuality. The way I am broken tells you something unique about me. The way you are broken tells me something unique about you. That is the reason for my feeling very privileged when you freely share some of your deep pain with me, and that is why it is an expression of my trust in you when I disclose to you something of my vulnerable side. Our brokenness is always lived and experienced as highly personal, intimate and unique. I am deeply convinced that each human being suffers in a way no other human being suffers.

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