Daily Meditation: Listening With Our Wounds

DAILY MEDITATION Listening With Our Wounds July 10  Photo courtesy of Jim van Dijk To enter into solidarity with a suffering person does not mean that we have to talk with that person about our own suffering. Speaking about our own pain is seldom helpful for someone who is in pain. A wounded healer is someone who can listen to a person in pain without having to speak about his or her own wounds. When we have lived through a painful depression, we can listen with great attentiveness and love to a depressed friend without mentioning our experience. Mostly it is better not to direct a suffering person's attention to ourselves. We have to trust that our own bandaged wounds will allow us to listen to others with our whole beings. That is healing.  For further reflection... Then Jesus said, "Let anyone with ears to hear, listen!" - Mark 4: 9 (NRSV) Your response... Practice listening "with your whole being" today. Comment on this Daily Meditation. Continue the Inspiration Purchase your copy of Henri Nouwen's book "The Wounded Healer".   Visit our Bookstore: United States | Canada | United Kingdom Consider our monthly giving program to sustain the ability to extend Henri's legacy and make his work available to those who seek spiritual formation and nourishment. Click here to sign up today. Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Scripture chosen by L. Yeskoo. STAY CONNECTED:

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