To anyone thinking his life is useless
Submitted by Ford Prefect on June 19 2000 11:37:51
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I recommend the book Adam by (who else) Henri Nouwen. It's the story of the one person who Nouwen says influenced him more than anyone else. And yet, Adam could not speak, or even move without assistance. Adam was frequently set upon by seizures and was totally dependent on others. Here is a quotation from the book: I am saying that because of the vulnerability of Jesus we can see Adam's extremely vulnerable life as a life of utmost spiritual significance. Adam did not have unique heroic virtues: he did not excel in anything that newspapers write about. ..... But he was a whole person and a blessed man. In his weakness he became a unique instrument of God's grace. He became a revelation of Christ among us. For him God was never the subject of an intellectual or emotional search. Like Jesus, his belovedness, his likeness to God, his mission of peace could be acknowledged only by those who were willing to welcome him as one sent by God. Most people saw Adam as a disabled person who had little to give and was a burden to his family, his community, and to society at large. As long as he was seen that way, his truth was hidden. What was not received was not given. But Adam's parents loved him simply because he was Adam. Yes, they recognized and loved him for himself. Without awareness they also welcomed him as one sent to us by God in utter vulnerability to be an instrument of God's blessing. That vision of him changes everything quite radically because Adam then emerges as someone, as special, as a wonderful, gifted, child of promise. [For those who worked with him] his wonderful presence and his incredible worth would enlighten us to comprehend that we, like him, are also precious, graced, and beloved children of God, whether we see ourselves as rich or poor, intelligent or disabled, good-looking or attractive. As a spiritual teacher he would lead us ever so gently to those inner spaces we prefer to leave untouched, so that each of us could live our true vocations. In relationship with him we would discover a deeper, truer identity. |
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