Trafficking. What words or images come to mind? Shock? Disgust? Anger? Innocent boys and girls and men and women? Sleazy looking men?
Trafficking is very wide-spread and more than likely it is happening in your own backyard. Hard to believe, but it's true. We can't have the attitude that that will never happen to me or a loved one or a friend. Unfortunately it can happen to anyone of us.
One person I know who never thought that she would ever get caught up in this type of life is my good friend from California Wendy Barnes. Raised in Seattle Wendy was deceived by a man who she had a crush on and thought that he was going to be her husband. This man led her into the dark world of trafficking that changed her life forever.
She tells of her ordeal in her book "And Life Continues:Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom." Wendy's story will anger you, bring you to tears, and to your knees crying out to God for innocent victims. I hope that it will inspire you to do something that will rescue victims from this nightmare.
By the grace of God Wendy was able to escape that life of torment. She is a survivor!
What can I do?
Wendy has graciously agreed to write the post below, which should answer our questions. Thanks Wendy and God bless you my dear friend!
What can we do to make people aware of human trafficking? What can people do to rescue/help people who are trapped in human trafficking?
Public awareness of human trafficking is increasing every day—as is the interest in fighting it and in helping victims. That’s the good news. The bad news is that human trafficking rings grow with every day. As Radio Free Europe reports, “Every day, men, women, and children around the world are stripped of their basic rights and trafficked as sex workers, forced laborers, involuntary servants, or for their organs. The International Labor Organization estimates that human trafficking -- fed by poverty and corruption and facilitated by organized crime -- victimizes more than 20 million people globally.”
The other unfortunate news is that there are many myths about human trafficking—one of the most important ones for Americans to understand being that “it doesn’t happen here.” I am continually shocked by how many people still do not know what human trafficking is and where it takes place. Recently, I participated in a discussion at a church, and someone asked about human trafficking. Someone responded, "Isn't that when women are brought to America to work as prostitutes?" That is not an unusual response; many Americans don’t realize that human trafficking is, indeed, taking place in their own back yards, that many of the people they know may actually be victims of human trafficking,that many of the products they buy are made by enslaved human beings.
Trafficking a very uncomfortable subject; people don't want to talk about it. It's easier to shut your eyes and pretend you know nothing about it. People need to be aware of the different forms of trafficking and what it looks like. We need talk about where our products are coming from, and understand that every dollar we spend is a “yes” or “no” vote on trafficking. We need to talk about “our boys being boys” when they go to strip clubs. They, and we, need to understand that the girls at those clubs are not there by choice—they are there because they had no other choice.
So how do we help people become more aware? First, we need to educate ourselves. There are many books, websites, and resources (more about that below) that help us understand the scope of human trafficking. The biggest thing anyone can do is to learn about it and talk about it. Once people become aware, many want to help. The resources below offer specific concrete ways to help.
It’s important to remember that the effort to address human trafficking doesn’t end with the victim’s escape from the dangerous situation. It takes a village to help trafficking survivors, many of whom(especially sex trafficking victims) also face criminal charges. The road from victim/criminal to survivor is a long one. Ultimately, each survivor must rebuild his or her own life, but they can only accomplish that with the support of their communities: help with basic necessities and a safe environment that
promotes healing, learning, and growing for the many years it will take to fully recover. They will have obstacles stemming from “that life” for years to come.
An easy way to help is to contribute to organizations that are fighting trafficking, promoting awareness,and helping survivors…but let me introduce a word of caution. I know of many organizations that rake in lots of financial donations but that rarely ever give direct help to a trafficking survivor. I also know many organizations and people who give deeply from their hearts and wallets and who help victims/survivors directly. Find a survivor and ask her or him who helped the most, and then contribute to that person or organization. Below I’ve listed a few of the organizations that I admire and support.
A word about faith-based support for trafficking victims: Survivors are fragile and are finding their way to their genuine identity. They have been manipulated through violence and false affection, and their self-identity is buried in a mountain of self-doubt and fear. Sharing your faith is fine, but do so without imposing dogma or insisting that they accept your faith principles. Invite them without expectations or judgment to share the comfort you have found in your faith.
Individually, we can’t solve the problem, but together we can work miracles. Below is a list of RESOURCES that I have found to be effective, along with a list of suggested books.
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Get help, report a tip, request services
1 (888) 373-7888
SMS: 233733 (Text "HELP" or "INFO")
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages
Website: traffickingresourcecenter.org
Recognizing the signs
www.traffickingresourcecenter.org/what-human-trafficking/recognizing-signs
Global Center for Women and Justice
What Is Human Trafficking?
An extensive list of resources and podcasts. Includes contact information if you have questions.
www.vanguard.edu/gcwj/resources/
United States Department of State
20 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking
www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/
DTS: Dallas Theological Seminary
Human Trafficking: 20 Things You Can Do Today To Stop It
This website offers specific, faith-based ways to help and recommendations for documentaries and books that help raise awareness
www.dts.edu/read/human-trafficking-20-things-you-can-do-today-to-stop-it-tomczak-linda/
RockStarr Ministries
A nonprofit blog promoting help for victims of human trafficking in the United States and around the world.
www.rockstarrministries.org/
Abolition Now
Under the supervision of Compassion Connect, Inc., Abolition Now unites churches and collaborates with government agencies, anti-trafficking and other nonprofit organizations to aid in the fight against sex-trafficking through advocacy, awareness, prevention and restoration. The Abolition Now website describes their dozens of related advocacy, aftercare, awareness, prevention, outreach, and shelter programs and organizations around the world.
abolitionnow.com/
Examples of Abolition Now programs
House of Engedi is a long-term, women's residential care facility in the state of Oregon specializing in care for victims of sexual exploitation, focusing on each survivors personal strengths to aid in her recovery and empowerment.
abolitionnow.com/organizations/shelter/item/house-of-engedi
Compassion First
Provides long-term holistic aftercare for trafficking survivors, partnered law enforcement training, safe pathways for survivors through the court system, and financial collaboration for rescues of trafficked persons. Actively works with others worldwide working to end modern-day slavery.
www.compassionfirst.org
Abeni
Abeni exists to create a safe, confidential place for those working in the Orange County, California, sex trades as well as those being domestically sex trafficked. It is a controversial organization because they serve “voluntary” sex trade and adult industry workers whose lives have taken a dangerous turn—but they are the first to step up, help, and give support to anyone who needs it.
www.facebook.com/AbeniOC
www.abeni.org/
Recommended books:
Walking Prey: How America's Youth Are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery by Holly Austin Smith. Advocate and former victim Holly Austin Smith shows how middle class suburban communities are fast becoming the new epicenter of sex trafficking in America.
In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It by Nita Belles. Through true stories and years of boots-on-the-ground experience, Nita Belles helps concerned parents, friends,teachers, law enforcement, government officials, and other leaders understand all forms of trafficking,identify risk factors, and take practical steps to keep their loved ones and neighbors safe from predators.
And Life Continues: Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom by Wendy Barnes. My first-hand account of how I became a victim of human trafficking, why I was unable to leave the man who enslaved me for fifteen years, and the obstacles I overcame to heal and rebuild my life after I was rescued.
Showing posts with label restoration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restoration. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Thursday, January 19, 2012
LORD, YOU'RE LATE AGAIN
So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. John 11:6
We set our clocks and watches and mark our calendars so that we can know what time it is and what appointments we have scheduled. Knowing the correct time and day is very important in our daily routines.
Alarms are set so that we will get up for church, school, and work to arrive on time. Our calendars list upcoming birthdays, weddings, and holidays so that we can prepare for these important days.
Time dictates most of the events of our lives.
Time is a man-made measurement. It was established in order for civilization to function. Time zones were formulated so that the entire world would be in sync.
As much as we rely on time, it is irrelevant to the Lord. By that, I mean that the Lord is not dictated by clocks and calendars as we are, for He does as He pleases and when He wants to. The Lord is sovereign.
If we were to complain to the Lord that He is taking a long time to answer a prayer of ours, he would reply, “No, I'm not. I have everything under control.”
The above scripture reveals that even as Jesus ministered on earth he was not always dictated by time. He had a plan and purpose for everything.
His good friend Lazarus was sick, and instead of immediately going to minister to him, he deliberately stayed in Judea two more days. (Can you imagine if a pastor was called to the hospital and decided to go visit an ailing parishioner two days later?) And the reason being for His delay was--“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it...Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” verses 4, 14-15
In God's eternal plan, in his great wisdom, he delayed going to heal him, so he could raise him from the dead, thereby giving God the glory.
As we wait on the Lord, it seems at times that the Lord isn't going to answer us, that He has forgotten us. The psalmist felt that he had been abandoned by the Lord. Psalm 13:1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
But as we continue to read, the psalmist closes by saying--5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.
When something comes to pass that we have been waiting a long time for, we sometimes say, “It was worth the wait.” It wasn't much fun waiting, but now that it has been fulfilled, we see that waiting was a good thing.
When we turn to the Word, we see several events where God's people had to wait until God intervened and His holy will was accomplished.
Abraham and Sarah had to wait years before the Lord's promise of a child came to pass. (We see what happened when they tried to “help” the Lord out instead of waiting.)
The children of Israel had to wait 400 years before the Lord raised up Moses to be their deliverer from bondage in Egypt.
David was a teenager when Samuel anointed him to be the next king of Israel, but it wasn't until he was an adult that he came unto power.
Job waited months for his healing and restoration.
God's people waited centuries for the coming of the Messiah. See Galatians 4:4.
And James tells us to be patient as we wait for the coming of the Lord.
Waiting can be hard, but we must continue to seek the Lord and trust Him, for in His “time” He will answer our prayers and pour out His blessings! Amen!
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
“Most of us would prefer...to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of 'good time' is seldom in sync with ours.”
― Oswald Chambers
We set our clocks and watches and mark our calendars so that we can know what time it is and what appointments we have scheduled. Knowing the correct time and day is very important in our daily routines.
Alarms are set so that we will get up for church, school, and work to arrive on time. Our calendars list upcoming birthdays, weddings, and holidays so that we can prepare for these important days.
Time dictates most of the events of our lives.
Time is a man-made measurement. It was established in order for civilization to function. Time zones were formulated so that the entire world would be in sync.
As much as we rely on time, it is irrelevant to the Lord. By that, I mean that the Lord is not dictated by clocks and calendars as we are, for He does as He pleases and when He wants to. The Lord is sovereign.
If we were to complain to the Lord that He is taking a long time to answer a prayer of ours, he would reply, “No, I'm not. I have everything under control.”
The above scripture reveals that even as Jesus ministered on earth he was not always dictated by time. He had a plan and purpose for everything.
His good friend Lazarus was sick, and instead of immediately going to minister to him, he deliberately stayed in Judea two more days. (Can you imagine if a pastor was called to the hospital and decided to go visit an ailing parishioner two days later?) And the reason being for His delay was--“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it...Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” verses 4, 14-15
In God's eternal plan, in his great wisdom, he delayed going to heal him, so he could raise him from the dead, thereby giving God the glory.
As we wait on the Lord, it seems at times that the Lord isn't going to answer us, that He has forgotten us. The psalmist felt that he had been abandoned by the Lord. Psalm 13:1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
But as we continue to read, the psalmist closes by saying--5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.
When something comes to pass that we have been waiting a long time for, we sometimes say, “It was worth the wait.” It wasn't much fun waiting, but now that it has been fulfilled, we see that waiting was a good thing.
When we turn to the Word, we see several events where God's people had to wait until God intervened and His holy will was accomplished.
Abraham and Sarah had to wait years before the Lord's promise of a child came to pass. (We see what happened when they tried to “help” the Lord out instead of waiting.)
The children of Israel had to wait 400 years before the Lord raised up Moses to be their deliverer from bondage in Egypt.
David was a teenager when Samuel anointed him to be the next king of Israel, but it wasn't until he was an adult that he came unto power.
Job waited months for his healing and restoration.
God's people waited centuries for the coming of the Messiah. See Galatians 4:4.
And James tells us to be patient as we wait for the coming of the Lord.
Waiting can be hard, but we must continue to seek the Lord and trust Him, for in His “time” He will answer our prayers and pour out His blessings! Amen!
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
“Most of us would prefer...to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of 'good time' is seldom in sync with ours.”
― Oswald Chambers
Monday, October 10, 2011
WHEN GOD INTERRUPTS: SOME THOUGHTS ON INTERRUPTIONS AND CHANGE
When God Interrupts:
Finding New Life Through Unwanted Change
M. Craig Barnes
Downers, Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press, 1996.
160 pp.
“But pastor, we have always done it this way.”
“We don't want to change the order of the worship service.”
“Nobody wants hardwood floors; we prefer carpeting.”
Many pastors can relate to these objections by church members when new ideas are presented. Most people get annoyed or angry when there is any interruption to the normal flow of life. We are creatures of habit and routine. We dislike, and even dread, changes that disrupt our lives.
Something as minor as an interruption in a conversation annoys us. The TV program that we are watching is interrupted by a commercial. Our sleep gets disturbed by a baby's cry or the dog barking next door. As annoying as they are, we deal with these interruptions as a part of life.
Recently, a friend and co-worker told me that his wife wants to move to another city, but he refuses to even consider it. He loves where they live now. He's comfortable, and he doesn't want his life to be interrupted by such a huge change. (I told him that if his wife wants to move, he'll be moving. And he is.)
When God interrupts, it can sometimes bring fear into our hearts, because we don't know what He wants and what is going to happen next, and that is frightening. We can become too happy and comfortable and then when God shows up, we sometimes fear the worst. “I hope that he doesn't want me to leave this church, I'm comfortable here.” “I don't want to move from this city, I love living here.” We don't want to be interrupted, especially by God.
People do not like change, especially when things are going well. As Christians, we are quite comfortable within the stained glass windows of the church. It's our comfort zone and we don't want to be disturbed.
We don't want to go to Nineveh. We would rather not leave the familiarity of the desert to go back to Egypt to rescue God's people. We don't want to sell all that we have and give the money to the poor. And we certainly don't want to go to the cross to die to sin and self.
I like what Christian author and apologist C.S. Lewis said about the Lord bringing change to our lives. "We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."
I first read When God Interrupts when it came out in 1996. I've read it closely and have underlined and made notes on the pages. When I browsed through it as I was writing this blog, I was blessed even more than when I read it the first time. The words on the pages leaped out at me, as they sometimes do when reading the Bible.
During the first reading of this book, the Lord had already interrupted my life and brought about changes, many unwanted. But I learned that as I follow the Lord, not knowing where I'm going, it's best to trust and obey. You come to realize that He knows where He is taking you and it's to a better place than where you are now. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
Yes, there is uncertainty along the way. The doubts do creep in. Fear rears its ugly head. There is more darkness then there is light. But, you keep going. It can be compared to a wilderness experience or in the words of St. John of the Cross, it's the dark night of the soul, where things are obscure. We may even feel that the journey is taking us through hell itself. But, as Sir Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.”
With the interruptions and changes that the Lord brings we have three choices: we can turn back (and miss God), stand still (not progressing in our walk),or go forward in faith.
The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes is pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
He is the author of several popular books, including Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls (Brazos Press, 2006), Sacred Thirst: Finding God in the Desert of our Longings (Zondervan 2001) and Hustling God: Why We Work So Hard for What God Wants to Give (Zondervan 1999).
Here are some excepts from his book When God Interrupts that I have found especially encouraging.
...grace often comes in severe ways. We really don't have to seek abandonment. It finds us easily enough. Usually it comes as God's uninvited angel with the announcement of “good news” that we are about to lose our lives. (p.18)
To follow Jesus is to enter the lifelong process of discovering more about God than we know, discovering that “my ways are not your ways,” discovering that we have been worshiping not God but an expectation of God. Nothing makes it harder to see God than our expectations of him. (p.30)
It is impossible to follow Jesus and not be led away from something. (p.21)
Life as they knew it was over. In its place they were given not just a new life, but a new purpose to life. (p.22)
...he takes them to a place they would rather not go and gives them a vocation that changes everything. (p. 27-28)
...conversion is the lifelong process of turning away from our plans and turning toward God's maddening, disruptive creativity. (p.28)
I believe that this book will be a blessing and an encouragement to you as you “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Amen!
Finding New Life Through Unwanted Change
M. Craig Barnes
Downers, Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press, 1996.
160 pp.
“But pastor, we have always done it this way.”
“We don't want to change the order of the worship service.”
“Nobody wants hardwood floors; we prefer carpeting.”
Many pastors can relate to these objections by church members when new ideas are presented. Most people get annoyed or angry when there is any interruption to the normal flow of life. We are creatures of habit and routine. We dislike, and even dread, changes that disrupt our lives.
Something as minor as an interruption in a conversation annoys us. The TV program that we are watching is interrupted by a commercial. Our sleep gets disturbed by a baby's cry or the dog barking next door. As annoying as they are, we deal with these interruptions as a part of life.
Recently, a friend and co-worker told me that his wife wants to move to another city, but he refuses to even consider it. He loves where they live now. He's comfortable, and he doesn't want his life to be interrupted by such a huge change. (I told him that if his wife wants to move, he'll be moving. And he is.)
When God interrupts, it can sometimes bring fear into our hearts, because we don't know what He wants and what is going to happen next, and that is frightening. We can become too happy and comfortable and then when God shows up, we sometimes fear the worst. “I hope that he doesn't want me to leave this church, I'm comfortable here.” “I don't want to move from this city, I love living here.” We don't want to be interrupted, especially by God.
People do not like change, especially when things are going well. As Christians, we are quite comfortable within the stained glass windows of the church. It's our comfort zone and we don't want to be disturbed.
We don't want to go to Nineveh. We would rather not leave the familiarity of the desert to go back to Egypt to rescue God's people. We don't want to sell all that we have and give the money to the poor. And we certainly don't want to go to the cross to die to sin and self.
I like what Christian author and apologist C.S. Lewis said about the Lord bringing change to our lives. "We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."
I first read When God Interrupts when it came out in 1996. I've read it closely and have underlined and made notes on the pages. When I browsed through it as I was writing this blog, I was blessed even more than when I read it the first time. The words on the pages leaped out at me, as they sometimes do when reading the Bible.
During the first reading of this book, the Lord had already interrupted my life and brought about changes, many unwanted. But I learned that as I follow the Lord, not knowing where I'm going, it's best to trust and obey. You come to realize that He knows where He is taking you and it's to a better place than where you are now. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
Yes, there is uncertainty along the way. The doubts do creep in. Fear rears its ugly head. There is more darkness then there is light. But, you keep going. It can be compared to a wilderness experience or in the words of St. John of the Cross, it's the dark night of the soul, where things are obscure. We may even feel that the journey is taking us through hell itself. But, as Sir Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.”
With the interruptions and changes that the Lord brings we have three choices: we can turn back (and miss God), stand still (not progressing in our walk),or go forward in faith.
The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes is pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
He is the author of several popular books, including Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls (Brazos Press, 2006), Sacred Thirst: Finding God in the Desert of our Longings (Zondervan 2001) and Hustling God: Why We Work So Hard for What God Wants to Give (Zondervan 1999).
Here are some excepts from his book When God Interrupts that I have found especially encouraging.
...grace often comes in severe ways. We really don't have to seek abandonment. It finds us easily enough. Usually it comes as God's uninvited angel with the announcement of “good news” that we are about to lose our lives. (p.18)
To follow Jesus is to enter the lifelong process of discovering more about God than we know, discovering that “my ways are not your ways,” discovering that we have been worshiping not God but an expectation of God. Nothing makes it harder to see God than our expectations of him. (p.30)
It is impossible to follow Jesus and not be led away from something. (p.21)
Life as they knew it was over. In its place they were given not just a new life, but a new purpose to life. (p.22)
...he takes them to a place they would rather not go and gives them a vocation that changes everything. (p. 27-28)
...conversion is the lifelong process of turning away from our plans and turning toward God's maddening, disruptive creativity. (p.28)
I believe that this book will be a blessing and an encouragement to you as you “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Amen!
Monday, August 8, 2011
“THE WOUNDED HEALER” A Book Review
“THE WOUNDED HEALER”
The Wounded Healer
Henri J.M. Nouwen
New York:Image, 1972.
100 pp.
The Wounded Healer, by the Dutch priest Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), has been a great source of inspiration for me in the ministry of Restoration and Encouragement.
This slim book is for all believers who desire to minister to the body of Christ, “but who find the familiar ways crumbling and themselves stripped of their traditional protections.” (from the introduction)
The front cover reads “In our own woundedness, we can become a source of life for others.” This almost appears to be a contradiction in terms. Woundedness and life don't seem to fit in the same sentence in a positive way. But Nouwen shows otherwise throughout the book.
...the minister is called to recognize the sufferings of his time in his own heart and make that recognition the starting point of his service...his service will not be perceived as authentic unless it comes from a heart wounded by the suffering about which he speaks...nothing can be written about ministry without a deeper understanding of the ways in which the minister can make his own wounds available as a source of healing.(p.xvi)
The body of Christ has had so many wounds inflicted on them in one way or another, and through these wounds we can be a source of strength to our brothers and sisters in the faith. Our suffering and wounds have a purpose in them. As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:
Just as we have a share in Christ's many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God's great help. If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.
2 Corinthians 1:5-7
Nouwen writes:
But what are our wounds? They may have been spoken about in many ways by many voices. Words such as "alienation," "separation," "isolation," and "loneliness" have been used as the names of are wounded condition. Maybe the word loneliness best expresses our immediate experience and therefore most fittingly enables us to understand our brokenness.(p.83)
Walking with Lord for so many years, I have come to see that you can't take someone somewhere unless you have been there yourself. It would be of no help to you if I tried to soothe your wounds if I have no wounds of my own. Nouwen makes this very clear, “Who can take away suffering without entering it? The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there...we have forgotten that no God can save us except a suffering God, and that no man can lead his people except the man who is crushed by its sins.”(p.72-73)
As a pastor of restoration and encouragement, I like what Nouwen says about the one who desires to show compassion to the wounded (Compassion a title of one of his many books), that person must "not be'up there' far away or secretly hidden from people, but in the midst of his people, with the utmost visibility."(p.40) (Which is where the Lord ministered). This brought to mind the saying that shepherds need to smell like sheep. Mingling with them, rejoicing with those that rejoice, laughing with those filled with joy, and crying with those who are grieving.
Compassion is something that all who desire to restore, encourage, and minister must possess if we truly want to help people. Compassion is a virtue that, for the most part, is missing in the body of Christ. To have compassion is to be Christ-like.
One cannot help but be moved by Nouwen's writings. They will have an effect on you that will inspire you to be more like Jesus, ministering in love and compassion, not ashamed of your wounds, but using them as instruments of healing.
For more about Henri Nouwen and his ministry and books visit http://www.henrinouwen.org
The Wounded Healer
Henri J.M. Nouwen
New York:Image, 1972.
100 pp.
The Wounded Healer, by the Dutch priest Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), has been a great source of inspiration for me in the ministry of Restoration and Encouragement.
This slim book is for all believers who desire to minister to the body of Christ, “but who find the familiar ways crumbling and themselves stripped of their traditional protections.” (from the introduction)
The front cover reads “In our own woundedness, we can become a source of life for others.” This almost appears to be a contradiction in terms. Woundedness and life don't seem to fit in the same sentence in a positive way. But Nouwen shows otherwise throughout the book.
...the minister is called to recognize the sufferings of his time in his own heart and make that recognition the starting point of his service...his service will not be perceived as authentic unless it comes from a heart wounded by the suffering about which he speaks...nothing can be written about ministry without a deeper understanding of the ways in which the minister can make his own wounds available as a source of healing.(p.xvi)
The body of Christ has had so many wounds inflicted on them in one way or another, and through these wounds we can be a source of strength to our brothers and sisters in the faith. Our suffering and wounds have a purpose in them. As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:
Just as we have a share in Christ's many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God's great help. If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.
2 Corinthians 1:5-7
Nouwen writes:
But what are our wounds? They may have been spoken about in many ways by many voices. Words such as "alienation," "separation," "isolation," and "loneliness" have been used as the names of are wounded condition. Maybe the word loneliness best expresses our immediate experience and therefore most fittingly enables us to understand our brokenness.(p.83)
Walking with Lord for so many years, I have come to see that you can't take someone somewhere unless you have been there yourself. It would be of no help to you if I tried to soothe your wounds if I have no wounds of my own. Nouwen makes this very clear, “Who can take away suffering without entering it? The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there...we have forgotten that no God can save us except a suffering God, and that no man can lead his people except the man who is crushed by its sins.”(p.72-73)
As a pastor of restoration and encouragement, I like what Nouwen says about the one who desires to show compassion to the wounded (Compassion a title of one of his many books), that person must "not be'up there' far away or secretly hidden from people, but in the midst of his people, with the utmost visibility."(p.40) (Which is where the Lord ministered). This brought to mind the saying that shepherds need to smell like sheep. Mingling with them, rejoicing with those that rejoice, laughing with those filled with joy, and crying with those who are grieving.
Compassion is something that all who desire to restore, encourage, and minister must possess if we truly want to help people. Compassion is a virtue that, for the most part, is missing in the body of Christ. To have compassion is to be Christ-like.
One cannot help but be moved by Nouwen's writings. They will have an effect on you that will inspire you to be more like Jesus, ministering in love and compassion, not ashamed of your wounds, but using them as instruments of healing.
For more about Henri Nouwen and his ministry and books visit http://www.henrinouwen.org
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