Vulnerability in One’s Writer’s Voice by Alan Anderson

 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”--- Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

 

The online Cambridge Dictionary describes “vulnerability” in the following way:

 

Vulnerability: “the quality of being vulnerable (= able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked), or something that is vulnerable:”

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/vulnerable

 

Vulnerability in a Question

 

This writer is forever thankful to God for the book The Wounded Healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Nouwen poses a thought-provoking question at the beginning of the book and answers it throughout its pages. The question is, “What does it mean to be a minister in contemporary society?” 

(Nouwen, Henri J.M., The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Image Doubleday, New York, 1972), p. 3.

 

A major contributor to the development of my voice as a writer was The Wounded Healer, written in 1972. The question Henri Nouwen asks still encourages a response from ministers and other servant-leaders today.

 

Allow me to offer a few brief points on how I answered and reflected on Nouwen’s question.

 

A question to invite vulnerable answers

 

Nouwen’s question intrigues me to this day, years after I read his book. For the sake of this blog post, I thought I would put a little spin on his question.

 

What does it mean to be a writer who is also a Christian in contemporary society?

 

My friends, free your minds to give thought to your answers. What does your call as a writer mean to you? What do the words eager to jump from your brain on to a page want to say to the world, your readers?

 

Here are a few suggestions I offer for your consideration.

 

Write as a “Wounded Healer.”

 

In his reference to Christian ministers, Henri Nouwen notes a particular image in focus throughout his answers to his original question. The image is that of the minister as “the wounded healer.” This is he or she who is aware of one’s vulnerability, one’s woundedness in coming alongside people who suffer. In short, servant-leaders are to recognize themselves as those who also suffer.

 

Every time I sit down to write, I write as a wounded healer. My own experiences of suffering teach me to bring hope to other people who suffer. The call of a Christian writer in the world we live is that of a wounded healer. We suffer, therefore, for the sake of our readers, we write with vulnerability. Our vulnerability brings authenticity, not weakness, to our words.

 

Vulnerability shows honesty in one’s words.

 

While dictionaries portray vulnerability as weakness, one can also harness this “weakness” as a strength. Vulnerability allows us as writers to be unashamed about emotions and the words we commit to a page. Our words can evoke tears, giggles, and deep thoughts. They represent us as writers.

 

Whatever I write, in all its vulnerability, is based on an honest observation of life. Honesty realizes the value vulnerability brings to the words one sends into the world of readers.

 

Vulnerability in one’s writing brings hope

 

A hope I pray for my writing is readers will use my words to wrap around themselves and know they are not alone. This is reason enough to show vulnerability on the page. Vulnerability makes us aware of our limitations and dependence on God’s mercy and grace.

 

Vulnerability in our writing has a hope to wrap our arms around the souls of our readers. The Lord Jesus promised He gives rest to our souls. This blessed rest allows us as writers to show genuine vulnerability in our words to reach the souls of our readers.

 

 

My friends, to write as a wounded healer is honest, hope laden, and shows vulnerability. May it be so with all of us.

 

 

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home with trees all around, where he finds inspiration for his writing. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan is the new BC/Northern Regional Rep. for InScribe. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.

My Shadow Life Mentors by Alan Anderson

 

“To those who were robbed of life, the unborn, the weak, the sick, the old, during the dark ages of madness, selfishness, lust and greed for which the last decades of the twentieth century are remembered.” —Schaeffer Francis A. & Koop, C. Everett, MD, Whatever Happened to the Human Race? (Fleming H. Revell Company, 1979).

 

 

When I think of shadow mentors who inspired me to keep writing, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Francis A. Schaeffer, and Henri Nouwen come to mind. Each of them impacted me through their approaches in relating to the world. 

Dr. Kubler-Ross wrote her book, On Death and Dying, to discuss some emotional reactions of people who were dying. She referred to her patients as “teachers” so health professionals, 

 

“…may learn more about the final stages of life with all its anxieties, fears, and hopes. I am simply telling the stories of my patients who shared their agonies, their expectations, and their frustrations with us.”—Preface, On Death and Dying, 1969. 

 

Love for people and ministry to them in sensitive experiences in life led to my discovery of my shadow mentor, Henri Nouwen. Henri Nouwen’s books speak of the language of brokenness, compassion, and our place in the heart of God. In his book, The Wounded Healer, Nouwen notes wounded healers are, “the ones who must not only look after their own wounds, but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others.” 

 

We may regard Christian writers who speak into the world with their words as wounded healers. None of us will go through life without permanent scars. Our lives because of our scars will assist us in our service to others. We do not waste our scars. 

 

Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer left his mark on the world with his outspoken defense of the unborn and his rejection of euthanasia. Schaffer offers a thoughtful examination of the West’s destructive assault on human life in his book, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?. The attitudes and practices he warned of in the 1970s show society didn’t listen to his prophetic writings and voice. 

 

Dr. Barrie Palfreyman rounds out my shadow mentors. He mentored me in with his heart for ministry and encouragement. He encouraged me to “take the plunge” in my quest to study for a Master’s degree. Barrie also served as my Seminary academic advisor. 

 

Barrie knew my heart for serving people and sensed my call to chaplaincy. His brief role as my mentor stands as a significant highlight in my life of service to others. Barrie died from cancer only two years after he encouraged me to, “take the plunge.” 

 

In people working their way through life I see the magnificence of God’s precious creation, His masterpiece. When I transitioned from pastoral ministry to chaplaincy my heart for people didn’t miss a beat. 

 

As a chaplain, my greatest honour was to sit by the bedside of a person in their last days, hours, or minutes. What a tremendous privilege to have a person near death to take my hand and smile. This is trust shown on an intimate and humble level. 

 

Each of my shadow mentors helped shape me as a person, a servant of God, and a writer. My shadow mentors remind me we are all unique. As writers, we have our purpose as we make our way through life. 

 

Beloved writer friends, please persevere as you write and send your words into the world. The world needs us. Be open to God placing you in someone’s life as a mentor and see the world change.

 

 https://scarredjoy.ca/

Lenten Reflections of a Broken Wanderer by Alan Anderson

This post is shorter than my other posts but I hope you find it meaningful.

During the first week of March I began a series on grief for a local wellness business. I entitled the first presentation, Grief: The Calling of Wounded Healers. I first read the term “wounded healer,” in a book by the same name written by Henri Nouwen. Wounded healers are people who are acquainted with personal grief and recognize pain or brokenness as part of their life journey. Wounded healers are aware of the scars of their own grief.

I am a wounded healer. I am more than aware of my personal brokenness. I bear the scars of my own woundedness. At times they still sting. Life can indeed bruise a person.

As a wounded healer I am drawn to the significance of the Lenten season and in it find deep meaning and true healing. Lent is about the One bruised for my iniquities. Lent is about the One who heals us.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

I am also a "broken wanderer." My wife and I believe we are coming to the end of a spiritual journey we have been on for a few years. It has led us, by God’s grace, to embracing the beliefs of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. To eastern Orthodoxy the church body is more like a hospital than anything else. We can come as wounded healers and receive healing for our souls. We love the fellowship of the people of the church we are joining. We are also more aware of the healing found in God.

Our wilderness wandering is over. We are home. This journey includes experiencing Lent like never before. In an article I read in preparation for this post the author says,

“For Orthodox, the Lenten period is a time characterized by "joyful sorrow" or "bright sadness." The constant contemplation of Christ's crucifixion, along with the self -denial and struggle is overshadowed by the certainty of His coming Resurrection” (Evagelos Sotiropoulos,Clean Monday, 2016).

Dear readers, I have no idea if any of you relate to being a wounded healer or a broken wanderer. Perhaps you resonate more with being a wounded healer. Whatever the case, please know your journey will lead you to the Resurrection. Healing will come. Your wandering will come to an end and rest will be found. The best is yet to come.

“I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come” (The Creed of Nicea and Constantinople).

Amen!

Blog: ScarredJoy.wordpress.com