Henri Nouwen & Fred Rogers were friends, writing back & forth to one another over the years. Finding this out was such a joy for me, particularly given my love and appreciation for both men and their work.At one point, Fred sent Henri a particularly discouraging article that had been written about him and the ministry that Fred had with young children. Words like these, attacking Fred’s character and questioning his intentions, were deeply wounding to him, and given the propensity of his friend, Henri, to speak openly of human pain, suffering, and healing, I can only imagine that it would be have been altogether natural to seek comfort from him.
This is a part of Henri’s reply.
“I read the article you sent me and can very well understand how much that must have hurt you. It must be really painful to be confronted with a total misunderstanding of your mission and your spiritual intentions.It is these little persecutions within the church that hurt the most. I simply hope that you are not too surprised by them. They come and will keep coming precisely when you do something significant for the Kingdom. It has always struck me that the real pain comes often from the people from whom we expected real support. It was Jesus’ experience and the experience of all the great visionaries in the Church, and it continues to be the experience of many who are committed to Jesus.
I don’t think it makes much sense to argue with the writer of this article. He speaks from a very different plane and will not be open to your explanations. Some of the criticisms we simply have to suffer and see as invitations to enter deeper into the heart of Jesus. I won’t send you some of the reviews I get of my books, but some are not very different from the tone of this piece. So I certainly feel a unique solidarity with you.
Let us pray for each other, that we remain faithful and not become bitter and that we continue to return to the center where we can find the joy and peace that is not of this world.”
It’s beyond tough to be misunderstood or wrongfully attacked, but for what it’s worth I have always found when deeply wounded, especially by those you’d least expect it, the best words I’ve found the courage to share are NO WORDS AT ALL. . .and for one literally talks in his sleep, well. . .there’s no words for that either. . . .
SO IF IT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE. . .MAKE IT HARDER TO SAY AND EASIER TO DO (KINDNESS)
. . .YOU’LL NEVER BE MISQUOTED!
LOUD LOVE
This short clip called
SILENT LOVE
(LIVE AND BE FREE song by, Tim McMorris)
really lets us know not just how
OUTRAGEOUSLY LOUD LOVE IS
but more importantly
A LANGUAGE we all speak
with no words ever needed
no ears necessary
no mouths speaking
to powerfully prove that when
L O V E
any kind of Love
is present
NOTHING ELSE EVER HAS TO BE
YES
CARING CATALYST ME
t h a t
so that every heart may not just know
LOVE
but share it
LOUDLY
without a word spoken
but known intimately
JUST MERCY
I hate horror films.
JUST MERCY
is a film based on a true story. . .
It is the worst of horror films
not because it could happen
but because it did happen;
And it’s made scarier more
frightful more
because it still is
h a p p e n i n g;
And the absolute most terrifying thing of all is
I AM A PART OF THE CAST. . .
Like a bad dream I want to wake up
but when I do,
I’m not only directing the film
but actually starring in it
AND ABSOLUTELY
DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. . .
AND THOUGH IT MAY BE UP FOR COUNTLESS AWARDS
I FEAR NOT THE NOTORIETY
BUT THE HARSH REVIEWS
I SO RIGHTEOUSLY DESERVE. . .
WAIT. . .
What. . ?
Are you in the movie, too?
I only hope
that the
s i l e n c e
that finds me guilty
is over matched by the
radical compassion
I attempt to give
that
e x o n e r a t e s
me. . .

A M E N
Hear, Hear
Sometimes what
S H O U T S
The Loudest
Can’t be Said
We expect the greatest challenge of Communication to be between the Mute and the Deaf. . .
NOT TRUE;
In a World that constantly
L I S T E N S
to Repsond,
It begs us to HEAR
and to HEAR
again.
Pssssssssssssst: If you’re Listening with only your ears. . .
you’re not really HEARING.
Hear, HEAR!