Compassion and Spiritual Life

Full Reports on the Bible & Theology Course - 2004

According to Henri Nouwen (1932-96, Dutch Catholic Priest and great spiritual writer), spiritual life is a reaching out to our inner most self, to our fellow human beings and to our God. "Reaching out" best expresses the mood and intention; in the midst of a turbulent and chaotic life, we are called to reach out with courage and honesty to our inner most self, with relentless care to our fellow human being, with increasing prayer to our God. To do that however, we have to face and explore directly our inner restlessness, our mixed feelings towards others and our deep-seated suspicions about the absence of God. Thus we may be able to integrate three polarities:
(Reaching out to yourself, to everyone else, and to God)

1. Loneliness to solitude
2. Hostility to hospitality
3. Illusion to prayer

In order to arrive at the "height", one has to be with God, and must be willing to make the journey from one extreme to the other. So the essence of human life, Christian life, and family life is one of conversion and of movement, of transformation. The presence of the polarities becomes the source of creative tension, which helps us to grow.

The science of psychology has confirmed the fact that much mental and emotional illness arises from repressing - that is, holding on hatred, anger, frustration, and resentment. Health is achieved by "letting go" of such negative feelings, so that the psycho energy we are using to hold them inside ourselves can be freed for use in positive growth activities.

Forgiveness is the key in the "letting go" process. Once we have forgiven our enemies, once we let go of our negative feelings toward our enemies, then we are free to take positive action on their behalf. Each time we decide to let go of a negative feeling and replace it with a positive action, we become a little more healthy, whole, and holy.

"Lord, that my life might become simple enough for me to be able to say 'yes' when Jesus looks at me." - Henri Nouwen

"Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared." - Henri Nouwen

"We always have a choice to live the moment as a cause of resentment or as a cause for joy.” - Henri Nouwen

Compassion Index
Compassionate Love in Family   Compassion in Scripture   Compassion & Spiritual Life

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