We are often tempted to “explain” suffering in terms of “the
will of God.” Not only can this evoke anger and frustration, but also it is
false. “God's will” is not a label that can be put on unhappy situations. God
wants to bring joy not pain, peace not war, healing not suffering. Therefore,
instead of declaring anything and everything to be the will of God, we must be
willing to ask ourselves where in the midst of our pains and sufferings we can
discern the loving presence of God.
Henri Nouwen
Show Me The Way
Crossroad Publishing Co., 1992
One day, I was sitting with Rodleigh, the leader of the
troupe, in his caravan, talking about flying. He said, "As a flyer, I must
have complete trust in my catcher, The public might think that I am the greatest
star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there
for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him
in the long jump."
"How does it work?" I asked.
"The secret," Rodleigh said, "is that the flyer
does nothing and the catcher does everything: when I fly to Joe, I have simply
to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me
safely over the apron behind the catchbar."
"You do nothing!" I said, surprised.
"Nothing," Rodleigh repeated. "A flyer must
fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched
arms, that his catcher will be there for him."
When Rodleigh said this with so much conviction, the words
of Jesus flashed through my mind: "Father into your hands I commend my
Spirit." Dying is trusting in the catcher. To care for the dying is to
say, "Don't be afraid. Remember that you are the beloved child of God. He
will be there when you make your long jump. Don't try to grab him; he will grab
you. Just stretch out your arms and hands and trust, trust, trust."
Henri J. M. Nouwen
A Roman Catholic Priest
Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation On Dying And Caring
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