The Lenten reading today is written by Henri Nouwen and comes from a ministry visit and his resulting reflection. The individual that Nouwen went to visit had been an active participant in social activism and had expended his energies in serving others. At the age of 50 this man finds himself battling cancer and dependent on the care of medical staff. Nouwen recounts that the man struggled with his identity now that his activity virtually stopped. The essay then pivots on Nouwens reflection on Christ and His activity versus inactivity. Nouwen goes to the scene in the garden where Jesus is “handed over” by Jesus and then pairs that with Romans 5:8 where it says God “handed over” His own son. The pivot in the essay makes Nouwen’s point that passion is as much a part of our identity as is action. The following excerpt illustrates the point well,
All action ends in passion because the response to our action is out of our hands. That is the mystery of work, the mystery of love, the mystery of friendship, the mystery of community- they always involve waiting. And that is the mystery of Jesus’ love. God reveals himself in Jesus as the one who waits for our response. Precisely in that waiting the intensity of God’s love is revealed to us. If God forced us to love, we would not really be lovers.
When our activity is stilled for whatever reason, we question our identity and maybe even worth. But we learn from Jesus that there is a time to act and a time to wait. When we are in those times of waiting we identify with Christ, who in His passion was obedient even in His “inactivity.” We are at a time this very day where many of us are struggling with being still. While we wait may our strength be renewed and our passion for Christ be fueled.