March 18, 2022

A Wounded Healer’s Reflections of Covid-19 by Alan Anderson

 


Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God…2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

 

 

A few years ago, as part of my preparation for a workshop I read a book by Henri Nouwen entitled The Wounded Healer. The reflections I present in this blog post are from my point of view as a “wounded healer.”

 

A Reflection on Covid-19

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on the brokenness of the world and the need for healers. The whole planet is broken. Here in the West with a reputation of the denial of grief and death we have been smacked across the face of society. Only the most hardened arrogance can continue to deny the reality of pain, suffering and death. This all exposes the need for wounded healers.

 

 

The Wounded Healer

 

If you are unfamiliar with one being a wounded healer here is a brief overview.

 

  • ·       The call of a wounded healer is to come alongside other people and comfort them
  • ·       Wounded healers acknowledge their own woundedness and practice self-care
  • ·       A wounded healer walks for often there is no need to run
  • ·       They accept the love and support of people who care for them…those who empathize with them
  • ·       Personal suffering enables one to come alongside people with patience and presence
  • ·       The act of coming alongside is to help others know they are not alone in their suffering
  • ·       A wounded healer keeps grief and suffering out of the shadows by entering its difficult territory and listens to the stories of others.

 

 

As a wounded healer I am aware of how the pandemic has crippled my life. There are things in life I miss.

 

Life I Miss

I miss hugs. I miss going to a coffee shop first thing in the morning and writing. I miss feeling free and safe. I miss going to visit my kids and grandkids whenever I want. I miss walking down a street and seeing all sorts of people going all sorts of places. Before life became a bit more relaxed here in BC, I missed my church family more than they may ever know.

 

 

As a wounded healer I am also aware of my own emotional woundedness, yet this does not disable my desire to help other people. You see, wounded healers are ambassadors of hope. We live in the hope of God.

 

 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful…Hebrews 10:23

 

 

Wounded Healers Embrace Hope

 

Most of my life has been devoted to helping people, to encourage them, and accompany them on their grief journeys. In "retirement," I write about life and the things we endure like the Covid pandemic. Yes, we can endure this monster because we live with hope.

 

 


Hope is like the huge smile of a child soon to burst forth as a belly laugh. Hope sees the pain of the world yet also sees the healing there is because God has sent His Son to be our Wounded Healer. Our hope is sealed. 

 

 

My dear friends, join with me in the need for wounded healers in our world. Wounded healers represent hope. Together despite our own woundedness we can offer real and eternal hope to all we meet.

 

Please join me as a Wounded Healer. Are you in?

 

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018. Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.


13 comments:

  1. Thank you, Alan. I'm in.

    One of the first wounds I witnessed during the pandemic was at the very beginning when a writing friend's husband (who is younger than me) died from COVID. He was a nurse on the frontlines. The wound of widowhood my friend suffered is deep. They were a loving couple.

    I especially appreciate these words of yours: "Hope sees the pain of the world yet also sees the healing there is because God has sent His Son to be our Wounded Healer."

    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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    2. Hi Wendy...I am glad you are in. We will never know the extent or depth of wounds people suffer because of the misery of the pandemic. I feel for your friend since the death of her husband. What a blessing you must be to her and the healing of her wounds.

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  2. There are more of us than we realize .... wounded healers. It takes vulnerability to open our own wounds again in order to help others. Thank you for learning from your wounds and using them to comfort the wounded. I'm in too.

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    1. Dear Valerie, thank you for your wounded healer encouragement. This is our time. Wherever we are in the world we can make a difference in the world. Our presence, our careful words can bring healing to those we meet. Blessings to you.

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  3. There is HOPE! Thank you Alan.

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    1. Yes indeed, Tracy! The world, the pandemic, fear, or hate, cannot defeat HOPE.

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  4. We are all of us wounded, and need to realize that before we can help others by leading them to the God of all comfort and healing. A lovely post, Alan. Thank you.

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    1. Hi Lorrie! Yes, recognition and acceptance of our own woundedness is a form of healing. This frees us to enter into the pain of other, if they allow us, and let them know they are not alone.

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  5. Thanks, Alan, for you call to all of us to enter into others' pain and to be the Lord's ambassadors of hope. I'm in!

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    1. I am glad you are in, Sandi. These days are indeed a time for us to live out our hope to show a better way than the world offers.

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  6. The real casulties are those who were hurt by job losses and business failure. The virus was a bad flu but the reaction of health authorities stole 2 years of our lives. The children were especially traumatized by the paranoia of their parents. I look forward to this nonsense being known only in history books and documentaries.

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  7. Together we can help turn things around, Bruce in spite of these authorities.

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