Day 187: Choosing to be Vulnerable

 DAY 187

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic    

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Twenty-seven    Thursday 17 September 2020

Choosing to be Vulnerable

There’s no time like a pandemic to bare uncomfortable

truths that keep us from connecting.

“Every so often a word bubbles to the surface of our cultural consciousness…This year it’s ‘vulnerability.’ Brene Brown of Houston’s Graduate School of Social Work after looking at hundreds of interviews and focus groups came to the conclusion that those with a strong sense of belonging to a greater community all had one thing in common: they made choices to be vulnerable.”  From a current newspaper article by the same title

Vulnerability – this is one of those words where origin is especially helpful in understanding its meaning. It comes to us from the Latin: the noun ‘vulnus’ means ‘wound,’ the verb ‘vulnerare’ means to wound. Now we know why so few choose to be vulnerable in their relationships.   

Anyone who has been hurt in a relationship automatically retreats and sets up internal mechanisms to insure they will not be hurt again. It’s broken human nature. However, when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ and he dwells within us through the working of the Holy Spirit we have resident within the vulnerable God of the universe: the whole Incarnation is a supreme example of choosing vulnerability, not for self but for others, for us. The above-referenced article goes on: “Vulnerability means intentionally putting yourself in a position that allows yourself to be hurt for the purpose of gaining something better. That better thing is a sense of connectedness, both to yourself and to others.”

Sounds like a Man on a cross:

‘He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,

and acquainted with grief:

And we hid as it were our faces from him;

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:

yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

he was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon him,

and with his stripes we are healed.”

Reflective question: Where in your relationships do you need to be vulnerable for your good and the good of the other person? Ask the Master of vulnerability to walk you through it.

Reflective Scripture:  Isaiah 53:3-5 KJV above.

Reflective hymn: “Man of Sorrows” – Philip Bliss1838-1876)

“Man of Sorrows!” – what a name for the Son of God, who came,

Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood –

Sealed my pardon with His blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior!