The wounded healer - "Historical dislocation"
I wanted to post some thoughts from the books I'm reading. 1.) So I can remember the meaningful things I've read, 2.) So maybe some interesting discussion will be generated. If you find this interesting let me know.
"The Wounded Healer" by Henri Nouwen - Chapter 1
In chapter 1 of the wounded healer Nouwen paints us a picture of the modern man. Nouwen calls him "Nuclear Man". His definition of the Nuclear Man is someone "that realizes his/her powers hold the potential for self-destruction." He talks about how we have marveled at technology and innovation that has enabled us to produce in one hour, what took people long ago years to create. But our inventions have taken a toll on our world economically, ecologically, etc... Nouwen says "In all this he [nuclear man] suffers from the inevitable knowledge that his time is a time in which it has become possible for man to destroy not only life but also the possibility of re-birth, not only man but also mankind, not only periods of existence but also history itself. For nuclear man the future has become an option."
Armed with this view of life many people develop what Nouwen calls a "Historical dislocation". People no longer connect with the cultural symbols and traditions of family, religion, life in general. Why get married, why focus on a carrier, why invent, why invest in things and institutions that will not last. Only the hear and now holds value.
I love this last quote from Nouwen,
"When we wonder why the language of traditional Christianity has lost its liberating power for nuclear man, we have to realize that most Christian preaching is still based on the presupposition that man sees himself as meaningfully integrated with a history in which God came to us in the past, is living under us in the present, and will come to liberate us in the future. But when man's historical consciousness is broken, the whole message seems like a lecture about the great pioneers to a boy on an acid trip."
Can I relate to Nuclear man? Absolutely! But I still feel this connectedness to past, present, future. Is that because of my faith? or does that and can that develop outside of my faith? Is being connect with history ( symbols, traditions, past, present ,future) an important part of being a Christian?
posted by Rich @ 8:06 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Nuclear man sounds kind of scary. He has created/unlocked some dangerous options and potential. If N.M. has a conscience then there is hope but conscience I think is rooted in image/identity.
Nuclear man is scary.
Shakey balance between concern and fear.
It sounds like on the fear end of things is when "historical dislocation" takes place. A fatalist view of life at the expense of considering the eternal dimension of our beings. Dislocation happens when it tips to fear.
C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters (pg. 28ish):
"Uncertainty of the future can cause the mind to have contradictory pictures of the future..."
Sounds like a brand of "historical dislocation."
I have realized in my life that suspense and anxiety can barricade my mind against God.
Nouwen has made some serious observations about Western Society. To simplify what he is saying we make choices based on fear of the worst (nuke day), lose site of the eternal perspective and end up with seriously broken image of self, time and God. We are defined by others and if we cannot or do not know God we cannot and do not know ourselves.
Some more Lewis thoughts: God wants us to be concerned with what we do and the enemy wants us to be concerned with what will happen to us.
great blog, Rich. diggin' it. your post on Nouwen made me think (in a rabbit trail sort of way) for some reason of P.D. James and the new movie, Children of Men, coming out soon.
Have you read any P.D. James? (I haven't, but recently I've become curious - she mainly writes murder mysteries.) I heard an interview with her where she talks about how much more dramatically evil is visible in a person's life than good is. Basically that evil in our lives tends lead to explosive moments that draw the attention of others (think of a fall from grace, a murder, a robbery, a hateful word spoken in anger, a lie, unfaithfulness, etc.). Good, on the other hand, lays low, builds in impact over time, doesn't draw much attention to itself (think the person who courageously faces a daily struggle with grace and faith, the person who rejects the lure of greed and practices generosity over a lifetime, the person who lovingly and humbly serves his or her family day by day, etc.). Makes me think of the Christmas story, the gospel story, the story of God in our world. The tortoise and the hare. Yeast in the dough. All that jazz...
Mark love your thought about fear and the future. It makes me realize have much our view of the future impacts the way we live out our lives today. We need a healthy, balanced, and God centered view of the future.
One of the things that is very attractive to me about the message of Jesus is the idea that the Kingdom of God is here, present and amongst us today. Jesus gave us a glimpse of what the future will look like. Sense then future has been unfolding in the present right before our eyes. I love the idea that we're playing a role in making the future happen not waiting for it to come and wandering what it will look like when it arrives in it's fullness. I think that has helped me in my historical location of past, present, future. It helps me smooth out those areas of concern and fear. Your last thought of Lewis' sums it up wonderfully.
"God wants us to be concerned with what we do and the enemy wants us to be concerned with what will happen to us."
Great post Mark.
Jesse, I love rabbit trails and travel them often. Haven't read anything by James, but you've stirred my insterests in the movie.
Great point about good & evil. It made me think about the very nature of good and evil. Evil wants to make us feel fearful and intimidated. It comes off as big and boisterous, full of shock and awe. Good gently approaches us trying not to scare us off. Good woos us daring us to trust and believe.
Definetly turtoise in the hare (Great analogy) and baby in the manager.
I just finished reading this book, The Wounded Healer. The deception in it is myriad. It really offers no hope. I question if Nouwen was saved. Some quotes later in his life leave doubt. For a good review of this book see this link http://www.christiandiscernment.com/Christian%20Discernment/CD%20PDF/General/04%20Nouwen.pdf
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