Today, I read a beautiful letter from the spiritual writer Henri Nouwen to his friend Fred Rogers. There had been a very negative and critical article written about him and his ministry with children. He was hurt by it and wanted the advice of his friend. This is part of Nouwen’s response to him:
“I read the article you sent me and can very well understand how much that must have hurt you. It must be really painful to be confronted with a total misunderstanding of your mission and your spiritual intentions. It is these little persecutions within the church that hurt the most. I simply hope that you are not too surprised by them. They come and will keep coming precisely when you do something significant for
the Kingdom. It has always struck me that the real pain comes often from the people from whom we expected real support. It was Jesus’s experience, and it continues to be the experience of many who are committed to Jesus.”
In last Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 4:21-30), we see that Jesus experienced criticism and even the threat of violence in response to his preaching. Those listening moved rapidly from acclaiming “his gracious words” to wanting to throw him off a cliff. These were people from his home town. Though he may have been saddened, he had the wisdom not to be surprised. He said that “no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.”
When our intentions are misunderstood, when our best efforts are met only with criticism, especially by those we thought would be supportive, it can be devastating. We can also remember Henri Nouwen’s words of encouragement to his friend: “Let’s pray for each other that we remain faithful and not become bitter and that we continue to return to the centre where we can find the joy and peace that is not of this world.”
When have you had the experience of giving your all without being appreciated or understood?
Spend some time with Jesus, telling him how it feels and listening to what he wants to say to you.
