Followers

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)

Henri Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest who became an esteemed professor at both Yale and Harvard, but then followed the path of “downward mobility” in his pursuit of Jesus. He left the public eye to work among those struggling to survive in Latin America and then joined the work of L’Arche Daybreak Community in Canada. He was a “wounded healer” whose restless seeking for God has left a legacy to the world through prolific writings on the spirituality of brokenness and vulnerability.

He died suddenly on this day in 1996.

Here's a great quote from Henri:

"In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face and in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, their smile is my smile. Their ability to torture is in me, too; their capacity to forgive I find also in myself... when someone murders, I know that I too could have done that, and when someone gives birth, I know that I am capable of that as well."

A thoughtful insight for diaconal ministry. 

(source: Shane Claiborne's Facebook post)

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