"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

– Isaiah 53:4,5

Day 39 : Good Friday

Crucifixion, by Natalya Rusetska (Ukrainian, 1984–), 2013.

Today's reflection speaks to those of us in this work and how we make sense of it as followers of Jesus. The gaps, the fuel, the model. What is a theology that sustains and gives meaning for us in M25i kind of work?

Last night, we officially entered into the Triduum, and today we observe Good Friday. Many of us will engage in some sort of additional fasting today, or attend a Good Friday service. What does it mean for us to fast in light of Good Friday, and Isaiah 58?

Just a few chapters earlier, we read above the prophetic words of Isaiah that describe the coming Messiah: he took up our pain, he bore our suffering, he was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.

But we can't stop there – we must keep reading: for it is his woundability that brought us peace; by his wounds we are healed. He was fatally wounded.

All of our true fasting, entering into solidarity with those who suffer, removing obstacles that block thriving, showing up for "the one" -- they really do matter -– because we are Jesus' hands and feet today, because he has commanded us to love through action, because that is the kind of true fasting God has chosen, according to Isaiah 58.

And we must always remember that ultimately, Jesus is the true healer. He is the one who brings true peace, true flourishing, true shalom.

“Who can save a child from a burning house without taking the risk of being hurt by the flames? Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in his own heart and even losing his precious peace of mind?

In short: 'Who can take away suffering without entering it?'"

– Henri Nouwen

Henri Nouwen's words above are from his book, The Wounded Healer, and of course, Jesus himself is the epitome of the wounded healer. He was wounded for our sins, and by his wounds we are healed – not just each of us individually, but on a much larger scale. God intends to bring wholeness, health, healing, flourishing, SHALOM to us, our neighborhoods, our cities, all of creation, and the entire cosmos, through the wounds of Christ.

Our work and presence among the vulnerable, the forgotten, those whose hope is crushed because they can't find a way out of the pain -- must therefore always be rooted first and foremost in the work of Christ on the cross. We do not strive out of our own energies or from any sense of false guilt, nor in a foolish attempt to earn God's favor or love. His love is already poured out upon each of us in all its fullness! He has promised to make all things new, and he asks us to trust that all shalom will be restored. There will be a day with no more tears. And his blood shed in his brutal execution is God's downpayment on that promise. He is showing us that he chooses to go all the way with his love.

Instead, we participate in true fasting out of the overflow of Christ's work in our hearts. We love because He first loved us. And just as he is a wounded healer, so we, too, are called to be wounded healers, pouring out our love for others as we contend for shalom.

“Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not, ‘How can we hide our wounds?’ so we don’t have to be embarrassed, but ‘How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?’ When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.”

– Henri Nouwen

Take five minutes, close your eyes, and listen to the song below. Hear the words of the last verse sinking deep into your heart:

"Purest Jesus, you held us to the end.
Truest Jesus, you taught us to the end.
Strongest Jesus, you bore us to the end.
Dearest Jesus, you loved us to the end."

He is the one who holds us, teaches us, bears us up, and loves us, and it is by his wounds that we are healed so that we, too, can become wounded healers.