Positive Powerlessness
God became a little baby. Who can be afraid of a little baby?...That's the mystery of the incarnation. God became human, in no way different from other human beings, to break through the walls of power in total weakness. That's the story of Jesus.
And how did that story end? It ended on a cross, where the same human person hangs naked with nails through his hands and feet. The powerlessness of the manger has become the powerlessness of the cross....He hangs there, his flesh torn apart by lead-filled whips, his heart broken by the rejection of his friends and abuse from his enemies, his mind tortured by anguish, his spirit shrouded in the darkness of abandonment—total weakness, total powerlessness. That's how God chose to reveal to us the divine love.
Source: Henri J. M. Nouwen, Finding My Way Home: Pathways to Life and the Spirit
Strength of the Lowly
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right hand is disregarded by my God'?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary... Isaiah 40:27-31
Prayer
Sustainer God, though I very much wish to be in control, let me recognize the strength of Christ's manger and his cross. Transplant in me your humble heart and your heroic surrender so that I may cast out pride and share in the cup of your tears. Amen.
Lenten Action
Promise yourself that you will maintain a dignified silence (just as Jesus did at his trial), at a point where you are eager to contribute your two-cents' worth or when you feel a strong need to defend yourself from criticism.
Excerpted from: Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen
No comments:
Post a Comment