2019.08.26 02:00
The ark is a house that rocks and rolls on the waves of
our times. Nobody remains without some fear.
But Jesus is in the ark, asleep! He is close to us.
Whenever the fear becomes overwhelming and
we wake him up anxiously, saying:
"Save us, Lord, we are going down,"
he says: "Why are you so frightened, you people of little faith?"
Then he rebukes the winds and sea and makes all calm again
(Matt. 8:23-27).
The ark is our home, and Jesus has made it his own.
He travels with us and continues to reassure us every time
we are driven to panic or tempted to destroy others or
ourselves.
And as he travels with us, he teaches us how to live in the house
of love. It is far from easy to grasp his teaching because
we keep looking at the high waves, the heavy winds, and
the roaring storm. We keep saying: "Yes, yes ... but look!"
Jesus is a very patient teacher.
He never stops telling us where to make our true home,
what to look for, and how to live.
When we are distracted, we focus upon all the dangers and
forget what we have heard.
But Jesus says over and over again: "Make your home in me,
as I make mine in you. Whoever remains in me, with me in them,
bears fruit in plenty ... I have told you this so that my own joy
may be in you and your joy may be complete"(John 15:4, 5, 11).
Thus, Jesus invites us to an intimate, fruitful, and ecstatic life
in his home, which is ours too.
... Henri Nouwen
2019.08.26 06:22
2019.08.26 13:37
I like the portion where it says the ark is a house that "rocks and rolls".
I didn't know Henri was such a dedicated Rock-N-Roller.
That a way to go !!
2019.08.26 14:10
Glad to know you found something you like.
Although he certainly was not a Rock-N-Roller in the literal sense,
it's been publicly stated by those who knew him best(according to what I read in the past)
that he was a guy with restless mind and heart that might have been
rocking and rolling as you indicated.
So in a way, he may have been a dedicated Rock-N-Roller in dealing with his own
faith in God as all of us, humans, are.
This is from the book,
"The only necessary thing: living a prayerful life /
Henri J.M. Nouwen; compiled and edited by
Wendy Wilson Greer, 1999, page 168(after Henri Nouwen's death).
I certainly recommend it to all Christians.
It is the only book after the Bible that I read every day.
"Wendy Greer, a dear friend of Henri Nouwen’s, culled together the spiritual master’s writings on prayer to offer a work that enriches our understanding of the practice of coming close to God. This collection offers profound nurturance for spiritual life."