Abba Antonios said: “The time is coming when people will be seized by manias and will behave like madmen. And if they see anyone acting reasonably, they will rise up against him saying: ‘You are insane.’ And they will have accurately said this to him, for he will not be like them.”
Henri Nouwen was the focus of this chapter. Well, technically, it was a chapter about humility and letting go. But Wayne spoke of Henri Nouwen's example of this: downward mobility.What Wayne remembers of Henri is his strong sense of place. Wayne believes that this is due to Henri's humility which is the product of years of contemplation and prayer...and Henri's personality. Sabbath can help us know our place in the universe. Humility is not self-deprecation. Humility is not low self-esteem. It is, in the end, the realization of a certain sense of cosmic scale.
Now, the temptation here is to assume powerlessness. The good news is that Nouwen's own life refutes this temptation. He was an activist, a teacher, a scholar...His book The Wounded Healer is considered by many to be a classic in the field of pastoral care. But it is also just a great book on the nature of human relationships and how we can allow God to redeem our pains and struggles.
I am a big fan of Nouwen. That likely comes as no surprise. His gentleness and his self-sacrifice...his humility. It's astounding stuff.
Sabbath can, if we incorporate it into our lives rightly, give us a sense of scale. It can show us how small we are...and yet, how essential we are in God's work on this earth...for our short span on it.
Megan posted here. Her reading of the chapter is different from mine. Her questions are good, and reflection powerful.
Cristopher's post will link here.
To learn more about Henri Nouwen, go here.
Posted by tripp at May 21, 2007 06:01 AM