WOUNDED HEALER -

March 12, 1989
8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Worship Services —
“Joh _M.. Buchanan
ft Fourth presbyterian Church, Chicago
Scripture. Le

Isaiah: 53:1-6
Luke 20:9-19

“. the owner of the vineyard said;..: 7 will send my beloved son;

it may be they will respect hia." Se ee Luke 20: eM).

‘When he told ‘that sad story. about the vineyard: and: ‘the cruel tenants, ;
the owner sending servants and finally a beloved. son,--only. to have the son
killed by the:tenants:—. when he-told-that: story, did he know? We know that:
there ..is a /sense.in-which. he. -is:-the subject of. this. story, that God: sent
prophets to the people and they were rejected: -And:we know that. thes)
beloved son would also be rejected and-killed,: -but: did Jesus: know?:

It was onthe first. day of the -last week of his life. Forces had
been set in motion which-would result in his arrest; trial and execution,
Surely he had some sense of it.The authorities were already looking: for.
the. appropriate: and safe: time to have: him arrested.» Surely he wondered. .
about.it; wondered. how.in the: world the God of love and goodness: and mercy.
could allow things to take a turn like this. The beloved son = killed,

almost arbitrarily. eliminated. Why;-if: this. is in-some: way the story ots.

God, .don't. the: tenants welcome: the: owner's’ son). arrange a. banquet, happily
do whatever-he wanted them. to.do?: “Why; if: he: is-God's: son;. God's ‘beloved;
is this..whole.project..slipping out.-ofcontrol, down a steep, treacherous
slape which will end at the foot of a cross? Is this what God wants? Or;
what kind: of a God is it: who wants this?

So. “just. when the. days noticeably. lengthen, the sun warms, , and the
prospect of: daffodils becomes: viable, just: when: the long: gray,.season: is =
about to surrender .to. the forces of renewal and resurrection,. the church»
bumps ..squarely: into its most: somber motif: the cross... Jt used to be.
called Passion Sunday, this fifth Sunday in Lent. .-J° still call it that)->
because I’ do-think: we need to have the issue ‘pressed on us: that left to :
own devicés..we-would-much. prefer: the: daffodils/and renéwed-lJove and | hope of
Eastertide without all. this dark: morbidity: : oe

“Why are “there no crosses "in here?" ca woman asked me ofie. ‘Sunday
evening after Vespers,: sliphtly irritated. it:appeared; thinking that :we,
bland Presbyterians had no .stomach:for.this issue; preferring. the-anore

edifying gospel ‘of success through positive thinking and prudent.
investment. "There was.a-time;" J explained, "that Presbyterians thought
ornate, decorative crosses only served -to confuse and: defuse the issue.
The cross:as decorative art; misses something; our stern: forebears
thought)". -(And--then warming tothe task...}.- "More important, look at this
place. It is across. Gothic architecture is cruciform. That's why it
lies here, prone on:the ‘corner of Michigan and Delaware, the cross with
long: stem:> and cross ‘arms: — thecross of Jesus Christ, planted here in-the
city. That. cross is the only reason we bother to be here." But she. had
long stopped listening, having “heard more than’ she really wanted to: hear,
and eyes nervously: moving from right to left; still looking for a real
cross, a plastic or polished oak or burnished brass equivalent of the
electric chair: - For that° is what it was and“is~and you really can't know
what -all-the shouting “is about ‘on March 26 until you understand that -
until. you stand under. it here for” a while: and sing:

"O. sacred Head now wounded,

With grief and:-shame weighted: down; © eel
Now scornfully. surrounded ee
With: thorns; Thine: only crown,"

Is. this necessary, really? “Couldn't God have prevented. it?. Wasn't
it within the power of the: Almighty to get. on with the: divine Agenda
without all this: messy business?

=So-for the better. part of twenty. centuries Christian ‘people have’
tried to find thesright words with which ‘to: explain to themselves mostly,
why it was that God's only son ends up dead.

= Doctrines: of the Atonement they. are called... And time ‘was when 1
thought our. task was to-understand ‘them, choose one) and endorse its”
reasoning: with one's. owns: Now I'm not-so sure: In any: event: they consume
a lot: of the: history of Christian: theology: One. ‘of: them’ goes like this:
Human beings sine:God-is both perfect2and: just, -So someone has to be
-punished.~ But because:God’is also love, God" decides: to-punish someone else
instead of: us; namely:Jesus...-A variation on: that: theme proposes that’ Jesus
is the sacrificial lamb ‘that is slain for thé: propitiation of the sins of
the people.» Jesus takes on himself the burden of human’ sin. Still: another
sees: the cross as the final battlefield between: God and sin;.jife ‘and
death:

The. trouble with the atonement as an exercise in theology is that it
doesn't help me withthe true ‘question the cross raises: namely, did Jesus
ever wonder: about: it? Wonder if God really meant for it to come.to ‘this
and that larger dilemma; what kind of God is this whose love either
orchestrates or allows things. like the framed- “Up execution ofan innocent
young: ‘Man? . :

That issue: is-ever with us. It comes at‘us from the mammoth:
suffering: that seems:to be a part of human existence: “innocent people
buried in-earthquakes, swept out of their airplane. seats, caught. in the —
crossfire in Palestine. Why? -Why 6:000,000 dead in’ the concentration a
camps? Or why one child shaken to its death by the babysitter? Hugh
Nissenson's’ hew. book, The: Elephant and My Jewish Problem; ‘is’ about. the”

3/12/89

difficulty: of being: faithful “in a violent: world: Nissenson is haunted: by™
the: children killed::in: the holocaust::: "After that,"-he said: to a New: York
Times interviewer; "I could no“longer believe that God was working in’
history, that there was a redemption procéss going on..." [New-York Times;
1/4/89}- That-issue: comes at us dramatically: in. the abstract, as each of us
triés. to accommodate what: we’see*on television and read in the. newspapers |
with what we believe about*God: But it comes: tous also,” ‘and “more
urgently, on-a much deeper level when we°are the sufferer: when someone
dear to-us dies, when the test comes. back positive; .when= nope fades” atid: the
light. goes ‘out: Why, God?) Why me? > Why have you done this, or allowed
this? > "Why,"°as: Jesus himself asked, “have you forsaken ‘me?" : VS

And again, there “are: answers, designed to meet: the intellectual 2
challenge. ae . ae Ce, : SAE

"Suffering results from human sin.” And it does,’ some of it. ‘There
is, it: would: seém;-a morality-built into the ‘scheme of things: When one.
people enslaves another. people, suffering will result for a very long-time:
When people are guided by preed: instead of: responsibility, suffering | will
result. Cut down the rain forest and dump garbage in the ocean and.
suffering will result. When the. country. decides | to- invest all ‘of. its”
resources in: sophisticated machines’ of ‘death, it can't afford to: fight a
war against drugs, or educate its poor, or provide: health care. . Some.
suffering: results from -human ‘sin, greed, stupidity. “But not! all of it:
not the-children, not the innocent, not’ the ones sitting in the wrong seat
or standing in-the wrong place.

"Suffering is God's way. to test our faith, “is another attempt. And
suffering does indeed: test “and ‘refine faith. But ‘that's - ‘a funny way to ae
love ‘people 6:25: Lewis: ‘pesolved:the problem of: his wife! 8 untimely: death
by concluding that God took her. to test his faith. And’ one’ of. his critics
simply: asked whether or inot: his wife would be able to. see it that way, or :
her motherless children? Could they be persuaded - that God arranged the
death of their mother to test: their. stepfather's faith? That answer makes
the problem worse acnalty. a

“suffering is-sent by God to-make ‘us better." And- sometimes. at does,
But-sometimes it doésn't:) Sometimes suffering makes us’ insensitive and:
cruel cand -brutal.---That's -what=the:movie "Platoon" was about: ‘It's. what —
has happened in Israeli’occupied Palestine and Soweto and Belfast.

Besides, couldn't. God: come up with another teaching “method?

As: asmatter of ‘fact; none -of- the various: ‘attempts ‘to answer’ the
dilemma-of human: suffering is satisfactory; just as. the various ‘doctrines’
of. atonement.fail adequately to explain the death of. Jesus... Someone has
quipped that when it comes ‘to suffering, : “theology is always like having

six ‘storm:windows to cover eight windows." (William Hamilton in Why, God?,
Bur ton: Cooper.;. pi-28])--And Simone Weil; "when. one finds a | comforting | reply,
first of all; one has. constructed: it oneself:"-° [Ibid,; p: 31]

My proposal is- thatthe faith response to ‘suffering is not-at all an
answer, -a-philosophic: thesis: which will resblve- the conttadictions inherent
in the topic, but a person, an event: ~.Jesus Christ and him crucified. My
proposal is that what» faith offers is not an answer to-the question, but

3/12/89

a

strong-arms/to holdsus; to comfort us, tothelp -us:stand-up again after swe
fall under the weight of: some suffering or grief: ~My:proposal is that
faith heals, not because the answers are: logical” but: because the healer-is
wounded, ; eye a ae

Ss The ancient Greeks. peasoned, with consummate: logic, «that: the chief.
characteristics. of human beings: are” that: they ‘havea, heart; .passionj< love;
anger, lust: humans: are. humans because they have-feelings,-So,-to be’ God

means. not. to be human, which: means.-not. to-have feelings.> The chief.
characteristic of: God, they. believed, was: “apatheia;"" no feeling;
detachment; coolness, distance, apathy. : : nae

-But..the.God -af= ‘Israel, the God-of the Jewish Scriptures; cares:
deeply; cares about human beings, gets angry, weeps tears, laughs at’them
and with them, is touched by their problems. The God of Israel-is wounded
by. their pain;:.suffers: with them. “The theological high-water mark.:of the
tradition comes, when’ an ancient prophet. writes: with Pear tbreaking: beauty =

“surely. he has borne. our: “griefs.
and carried: our. SOrrows, : boss
He Was. bruised. for ‘Our: iniquities
and with: his stripes welare: healed. Won

Healed by his. suffering? “Made whole by God's suffering? - Could it
be?. ‘God doesn't. cause. suffering but.is' also its. victim?» God)- a wounded
healer? ae fi : aaa

Listen. to. the: sufferers who seem always to say: only.a wounded
healer can. heal, “Members of the helping professions: are reading: an:article
in. the January Atlantic Monthly entitled the “Wounded Healers" which
proposes that. people. become psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians,
clergy, because. of their. own wounds... And while the article is’ interesting
it almost totally. over looks ‘ac truth shared by everyone, namelythat:healers
must ‘be wounded ; in order. to heal: 4 : : ; coeds

“Listen. to the sufferers. That is what they. will tell you... Henri
Nouwen wrote.a book, whose title [have appropriated,. The.Wounded: Healer in
which he Says,-""no one can help anyone without. becoming involved; without:
entering. with his whole. person into the. painful: situation, without taking:
the risk of becoming hurt, wounded: or-even destroyed in the process."

{[p. 72] a :

Listen to. the sufferers. ,:-to.Dietrich Bonhoeffer; from his* prison
cell, waiting: to die: aa Bes ar ee

"God allows himself. to be ‘edged out of ‘the world and:on. to:the ‘cross:
God. is weak. and. powerless in the world,.and: that ‘is: exactly the way; and
the. only way, in which he. can. be.with us and help us..::only a a: suffering
God can help." . [Letters and) Papers from Prison]

Listen to Thornton. Wilder,..who. puts: it elegantly: - “In-love's.service oe

only. the wounded, soldiers. can. serve.":. [See Douglas John::Hall; ~God-.and
Human Suffering] Pia

3/12/89

I. realized-only after I-readthem.that..three ofthe. best» books: >.
available on the topic of-suffering were written by parents who had lost
children tragically:. Rabbi. Kushneér, When Bad: Things Happen To ‘Good ‘People;
Burton. Cooper, Why, God?; and Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for’ A° Son.

They are very wise books: And: it-is ‘good .tolisten*carefully when:
they confess what. it -is)-like:.; < Wolterstorff's 25° year-old: son Eric was
killed in-a.mountain climbing. ‘accident. He: writes-so honestly. :

"What: do you say to. someone who is suffering?" he asks,.as we all
have on occasion: and. then answers: © "If: you can't..think of anything to’ say;
just say;: ‘y can't think of anything to say: But ol ‘want. you to know=that.
we are with you in:your grief.'-Or-even just. an: embrace... But please:: >)
Don't say it's not really: bad. -.Because it is.:.:What. I need ‘to hear from
you is that you recognize how painful it. is. 1-need to hear -from: you that
you are with me in.my desperation, To comfort me: youshave: to-come close:
Come sit beside..me on my. mourning. bench.”.< [p. 34] epU AS ees

We know that it is not easy to do, We know that every instinct in-us
is to retreat from: suffering, hide: from. it; -disguise it, avoid it. We know
that left to our own devices we will construct | barriers to keep suffering
from penetrating. There is.a sense in which physicians must do it. How”
could you work on the pediatric cancer floor and allow. it to: get inside?
And-yet,; even those noble people who do it, doctors, nurses, ‘aides, know
that there-is a sense in which they must be affected by it, must. be wounded
in-order..to serve... Nouwen warns» candidates for*ministry that: the: aloofness
we try to maintain in order to protect ourselves is no help at all. You. -
must, he says; "be willing :to cry with those who cry, laugh with those who
laugh,.. and: make. your: own painful and joyful experiences avai lable." [op:
cit., pi:%2] : Be feo, 8 ge

Faith's: response. to: suffering. is not. “an: answer. but. a person’ sa.
suffering Lord,. and a. community. of. solidarity. and:-love,;-one’-of: whose=
primary purposes.is to stand along side those who suffer. That is the
holiest vocation of all and it happens. in the» church but alse in: strange
and unlikely places when human beings reach out “in-love to: each: other and
hold each other: close. ee

It ‘happens. with magnificent: integrity in a -wonderful play;. "Steel
Magnolias:". It is about five women and a beauty shop. . Five very different
women whose relationship seems to be about what it: ought t6‘be: among: five
women. who meet in the: beauty shop at the same time weekly, or five men at
the .barber ‘shop... They ‘talk: about: their::lives,. their. storiés,- ‘their ‘hopes,
joys, disappointments... And: then-one- of. them: losés:a’ child; an adult:
child, and this wounded mother comés to the. beauty*shop,; and talks about
her daughter's death and-how. she: was..the ‘only oné: who could stand = to /stay
with her to the end.* And she is being very brave and. then: she’ begins tobe
honest...: and the beauty. parlor owner, Truvy,:.begins to™take® on. the pain
and reaches out and expresses concern and the wounded woman says:.:

"I feel. fine. I: feel great... I could jog. to-Texas-and back, but iny
daughter can't. I am so iad’ I don't know what. to do. <1. want to know why.
FE want to know why-Shelley'’s life is: over. How. is that baby ever -going. to
understand how wonderful his mother was? ~ Will he ever understand? Lord; I

ia)

3/12/89

wish TI. could. © It's: not© supposed to happen this way. Tam ‘supposed’ to #0
first. -1T've-always® been ready to go first. I :can't stand this: TD ojust
“want to: nie ppomeody until | they feel as bad as I do.. : :

‘and this ‘little | group of friends, this blessed community, this church
if: everthere was’a church; = gathers: around her. because they are. wounded
deeply by:what has happened and: with tears but” also Jaughter,: healing
starts, right there in the beauty shop... (Steel: Magnolias, ‘Robert: Harling,
p. 67, 68]

. God's. ‘son ‘died. - God gave the world a’ child: “And the child died:
God. has. suffered the: most: ‘exquisite pain any of-us will ever | suffer.
That's. what. the cross: of Jesus! As about... : ee

“Instead Of: ‘explaining our: suffering’ God shares it;" Nicholas
Wolterstorft. Says near. the end of his little book.’ "We're in it together,
God and we. Every act of evil extracts a tear from God, every plunge into
anguish extracts a sob from God." [p.. 81, 91]

It is “Passion Sunday. “And before. we celebrate the Good News of.
Easter morning; we are invited to ‘ponder,’ ‘to enter ‘into;: ta: celebrate, the
Good. News, of: Jesus! death. | @ : EES :

5 “The Cross” ds: “the supreme “symbol of:our: faith. --Every:time we walk
into. this building we enter into it; It-is the promise that the one who
made. ‘us Joves us, has experienced our life, has. died our death. It is the

promise ‘that there is nowhere we. can go, even into the deepest valleys of
the Shadow: ‘oft death, that our Lord = ‘has not ‘preceded us;

To be” sure, “that. “Tonely cross is a symbol ‘of suffering and: evil, and
injustice: and cruelty and of ‘everything that is. wrong with the world and
the human. condition: But: it: becomes; by faith, something infinitely more
than that. It becomes,: not: Just. what i cruel people did to Jesus of 50
Nazareth; but What a loving. God does for us.) And ‘therefore,a° promise ‘of:
love: and hope: and healing: ‘for our: wounds, “and light ‘for our darkness.

Amen.

-<.) God-of-love, we don't understand it, but in thisseason;) aswe =
“approach ‘again;:-in humility and awe the cross /of<our Lord,. gather’.us- in
your. strong-arms: and:help us.to know: that because of. that cross, we-are

safe and.free. ©: Amen. : : : ; : Pe Ee

3/12/89

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