Henri Nouwen's three meditations on the Christian life presented in this little book seem so simple - and so deep. The book is divided into three sections: Out of Solitude, With Care, and In Expectation. Here are my thoughts on the second part:
Mark 6:32-44
The knee-jerk response of seeing need, pain, suffering is to seek change – a cure. “What we do not see and do not want to see is care: the participation in the pain, the solidarity in suffering, the sharing in the experience of brokenness (p. 35).
Being with the people in their pain. This idea of care is evident in the life and work of Mother Teresa, whose homes for the dying created a place for the people of Calcutta to face death held by loving, caring hands. There is a time for action, for demanding change, for seeking a cure. “…Cure without care is as dehumanizing as a gift given with a cold heart (p. 36).” Care must be the foundation for all action taken to cure.
Care
In Beyond Borders, Dr. Callahan (played by Clive Owen) has been living in Ethiopia conducting relief efforts during the famine in the 1980s. Sarah Beauford (Angelina Jolie) has been introduced to the needs and inspired to take action for change. Dr. Callhan helps the naïve but well-meaning woman to see things differently:
“What’s the first thing you do when you get a cold?”
“Uh... chicken soup, aspirin, scotch...”
“You never just have the cold?”
Mark 6:32-44
The knee-jerk response of seeing need, pain, suffering is to seek change – a cure. “What we do not see and do not want to see is care: the participation in the pain, the solidarity in suffering, the sharing in the experience of brokenness (p. 35).
Being with the people in their pain. This idea of care is evident in the life and work of Mother Teresa, whose homes for the dying created a place for the people of Calcutta to face death held by loving, caring hands. There is a time for action, for demanding change, for seeking a cure. “…Cure without care is as dehumanizing as a gift given with a cold heart (p. 36).” Care must be the foundation for all action taken to cure.
Care
In Beyond Borders, Dr. Callahan (played by Clive Owen) has been living in Ethiopia conducting relief efforts during the famine in the 1980s. Sarah Beauford (Angelina Jolie) has been introduced to the needs and inspired to take action for change. Dr. Callhan helps the naïve but well-meaning woman to see things differently:
“What’s the first thing you do when you get a cold?”
“Uh... chicken soup, aspirin, scotch...”
“You never just have the cold?”
“I don't know what…”
“Taken nothing. Just have the cold?”
“No.”
“No, and that's us, right? We drown it. Kill it. Numb it, anything not to feel. You know, when I was a doctor in London, no one ever said 'medahani'. They don't thank you like they thank you here. Cos here they feel everything, straight from God. There's no drugs, no painkillers. It's the weirdest, purest thing - suffering…”
“No, and that's us, right? We drown it. Kill it. Numb it, anything not to feel. You know, when I was a doctor in London, no one ever said 'medahani'. They don't thank you like they thank you here. Cos here they feel everything, straight from God. There's no drugs, no painkillers. It's the weirdest, purest thing - suffering…”
Dr. Callahan’s insight came from first-hand experience in caring for the Ethiopian people. Following the word care to its roots, it means “to grieve, to experience sorrow, to cry out with”(Nouwen, p. 37). It is to admit that we do not understand, we do not know what to say or how to fix it. Words are often unnecessary; we are simply present to the other person. Cure without care is abused power – we are only trying to manipulate and control the situation.
Community and Care
How can form caring communities? For starters, we’ve got to get over this ridiculous idea that “I’m only one person…I can’t make any significant difference.” If every person believed this, our world would be devoid of both care and cure. We do not need special training to care for those placed in our path. We must simply do it. But we don’t. Why?
Henri Nouwen asks this question in such a way that the answer begins to emerge:
“Why is it we keep that great gift of care so deeply hidden? Why is it that we keep giving dimes without daring to look into the face of the beggar? Why is it that we do not join the lonely eater in the dining hall but look for those we know so well? Why is it that we so seldom knock on a door or grab a phone, just to say hello, just to show that we have been thinking about each other? Why are smiles still hard to get and words of comfort so difficult to come by? Why is it so hard to express thanks to a teacher, admiration to a student, and appreciation to the men and women who cook, clean, and garden? Why do we keep bypassing each other always on the way to something or someone more important (p. 43)?”
Are we afraid of how we will appear to others? Are our schedules so fully booked that we simply have no time for our fellow human beings? Do we have our own ideas of what things and people should be?
Care requires “the honest recognition and confession of our human sameness (p. 45).” This is the basis of true community. As true community is conceived and nurtured, these communities will naturally be caring to those “outside” of the community.
Community and Care
How can form caring communities? For starters, we’ve got to get over this ridiculous idea that “I’m only one person…I can’t make any significant difference.” If every person believed this, our world would be devoid of both care and cure. We do not need special training to care for those placed in our path. We must simply do it. But we don’t. Why?
Henri Nouwen asks this question in such a way that the answer begins to emerge:
“Why is it we keep that great gift of care so deeply hidden? Why is it that we keep giving dimes without daring to look into the face of the beggar? Why is it that we do not join the lonely eater in the dining hall but look for those we know so well? Why is it that we so seldom knock on a door or grab a phone, just to say hello, just to show that we have been thinking about each other? Why are smiles still hard to get and words of comfort so difficult to come by? Why is it so hard to express thanks to a teacher, admiration to a student, and appreciation to the men and women who cook, clean, and garden? Why do we keep bypassing each other always on the way to something or someone more important (p. 43)?”
Are we afraid of how we will appear to others? Are our schedules so fully booked that we simply have no time for our fellow human beings? Do we have our own ideas of what things and people should be?
Care requires “the honest recognition and confession of our human sameness (p. 45).” This is the basis of true community. As true community is conceived and nurtured, these communities will naturally be caring to those “outside” of the community.
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