Beautiful Wounds

 April 21, 2020

Beautiful Wounds

“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.”
― David Richo

 

 

Accompanying today’s devotion is the image of some artwork created at church in our Sunday School class. Each day this week, we’ll have a different piece to reflect upon and celebrate the topic of “Welcome”, as in “All are welcome”.

 

Who really wants to see someone’s scar or open wound? Well, there IS a certain fascination in seeing a wound that allows us to empathize more easily and warns us off- “stay away, it hurts!”. Jesus, when he came to the disciples as they were hiding out after his crucifixion, said to Thomas specifically, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” We remember that this had been Thomas’ demand in return for his belief. And so, Jesus put his wound on display.

 

But an emotional, psychological, or relational wound is somehow harder to display. We can convince ourselves to keep those wounds far out of the sight of even our closest relations.  More importantly it can be hidden from the person from which these wounds originate.

 

Sometimes we suffer not a wound but a close attraction. I see now why cupid shoots arrows, it creates a wound of love or infatuation.

 

A slight, a mistake, a misdirected joke, or a betrayal can injure us into silence or into anger or into resentment. We often do not display that wound. Eventually however, the wound displays itself. We care so deeply about a person that in our overreaction or silence to some other unrelated event, our beloved or friend finds themselves perplexed or wounded themselves. 

 

“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” Perhaps our quote can teach us that our caring is by far the best and most beautiful part of us. Our caring, injured and wounded is a hurt so painful that we dare not look. We can even convince ourselves that we don’t care. But deep inside we are all beautiful and of God’s creating.

 

We are sweet and lovely. We are all creative and trustworthy. We are all created as a wonderous and courageous star! We are all, deep within, worthy of love and adoration, and able to return all those affirmations in turn to others.

 

As we gather in our place of worship, as we walk the streets of our towns, as we pace the halls of our jobs, and congregate whether by virtual or actual gatherings, let’s remember the words in the paragraph above, and extend them to all we meet.

 

 Welcome.

 

Rev. Ken