Since this will be the last article that I’ll be writing from The President’s Desk, I gave much more thought to this article than any other one I’ve ever written – for two reasons:
In the first place, I do not want to sound preachy, because I would be preaching to the choir.
Secondly, I am writing from a tradition that will not be applicable to everyone, but I hope that each of you might find something useful in this article.
I am going to write from a tradition in which I am well-groomed and grew up with as a minister and a professional. I use the word “professional,” as many of us are professional chaplains. However, I pray and hope that for many it is a “ministry.”
Let me point to a phraseology that is well ingrained in the Christian tradition: ”The Wounded Healer.”
Books have been written, and songs and stories have been rehearsed around the subject in diverse ways to convey the true meaning of “Wounded Healer.”
The story of the Wounded Healer is a story of men and women trying to bring meaning, hope, and joy to the pain and suffering that we all experience in life. And to some extent, our wounded-ness as human beings in non-traditional ways. This wounded-ness goes beyond the physical and emotional part of each of us, but rather to the core and depth of our spiritual being.
Individually and collectively, we need to move beyond our professional role and make ourselves “vulnerable,” as fellow human beings so that we can heal from our own wounds and thereby become more effective in the process of becoming in the true sense of it “The Wounded Healer.”
The next story is also a familiar event in the lives of men and women who were wounded. They took a serious and drastic intervention to experience healing and became more effective in their own process of becoming and being wounded healers.
Their leader was arrested, was taken through three mock trials, all under the cloak of night. Before the rooster crows at dawn, he was found guilty and then sentenced to death. Some devout men connived with the establishment to carry out the death sentence before night fall. Hanged on the cross, He gave up the ghost.
The light went out for these men and women who had been following their leader for almost three years. On the first day of the week, in the evening, they locked themselves up in a room because of their fear. Then, all of a sudden, their Master made a grand entrance into the room and said to them, “Peace be unto you.” He showed them both His hands and His side and the men and women rejoiced when they saw their Lord and Master.
These disciples had been wounded.
They could do nothing for themselves until they were instructed to look at the wounds of their Master. What was unusual about their looking at the wounds? Sometimes, to be a very effective wounded healer, we need to look at the wounds of the ultimate Wounded Healer: JESUS!
When we look at the wounds of Jesus, we see the bigotry, conceit, deceit, and the hypocrisy of His disciples.
1. Bigotry – because they marveled that he had been speaking with a woman, more so, a “Samaritan” woman (John 4:27).
2. Conceit – because they were preoccupied with who was the greatest among them (Luke 9:46-50).
3. Deceit – because Peter denied him (John 18:25).
4. Hypocrisy – because He was betrayed with a kiss (Luke 22:47-48).
Furthermore, when we look at the wounds of Jesus, it speaks about the ugliness and awfulness of sin. It also speaks of the love of position amongst the disciples.
5. Ugliness and awfulness of sin – that left the scars on him (John 19:34).
6. Love of position – James and John, sons of Zebedee, requested that He puts them, on His right side and the other on His left side in His glory (Mark 10:35-45).
Thank God that is not the only thing that the wounds of Jesus speak about. They speak of:
a. Victory over the grave and death (1Corinthian 15:54-58).
b. Deliverance from the bondage of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
c. Uniting us with Christ (Romans 7:4).
d. A new lease on life (John 10:10).
e. Boldness to proclaim the gospel (Acts 2:14-44).
We all need to look at the wounds of Jesus so as not to be what my Priest once said, “A Wounded Wounder.”
The disciples became effective Wounded Healers when they were told to look at the wounds of Jesus. They had to be healed of their own infirmities and short comings before they could receive the power and boldness that led to their effective ministries.
I pray that we all become effective “Wounded Healers” in our unique areas of calling.
