Broken

Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen, (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and community.  After two decades of teaching at Yale and Harvard Divinity Schools, Nouwen joined with Jean Vanier to work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the L’Arche Daybreak Community in Ontario.

Henri Nouwen is visiting with me this morning.  We have been companions since my seminary days over 50 years ago when his first books were published.  I never personally met Henri, but I did hear him speak on numerous occasions.  Henri and I have talked together (figuratively) for all these years and we shared a common ministry (psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and community).  We were/are both “Wounded Healers.”

Nouwen wrote the book Life of the Beloved (Spiritual Living in a Secular World) in 1994 just a few years before his death.  In one chapter (“Broken”) Nouwen wrote:  “You are a broken man.  I am a broken man, and all the people we know or know about are broken.  Our brokenness is so visible and tangible, so concrete and specific, that it is often difficult to believe that there is much to think, speak or write about other than our brokenness.”  Was Nouwen right about our brokenness as persons?  Of course, he was right.  Our brokenness is “visible and tangible” and it is “concrete and specific” and I wonder how in the world we go on pretending as though it were not so!

Henri wrote,  “each human being suffers in a way no other human being suffers.” Our brokenness reveals something about who we are —“the way I am broken tells you something unique about me.”  Our brokenness cannot be lumped together with all the other brokenness in the world.  We are very much alone in our pain—and we do not need to hear that there are thousands of others who have a similar or worse pain!  My brokenness is truly mine and your brokenness is truly yours.  

What should we do with who we are—broken human beings?  First, we must admit, confess and face the fact that we are broken.  Then we must find the courage to embrace our pain and suffering and let it be an intimate companion along our way.  There is no shame in brokenness, pain, suffering, hurt, or in being wounded since such brokenness is part of what it means to be a human being.  We are all uniquely afflicted.