Owning our Brokenness

On any given day, many of us put on a happy face and try to hide our fears and anxieties. We don't want people to know about our negative attitudes and feelings. We try to hide our woundedness.

Yet, it is our wounds that God wants us to acknowledge. Jesus came to heal people who were hurting. When Zacchaeus climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, he also tried to hide his sins of avarice and greed. But Jesus told him to come down because he wanted to eat at his house. And, when Mary Magdalen was afraid that Jesus would shun her, he invited her to become one of his disciples.

As people grow older, we tend to have regrets over the mistakes we have made in our lives. We think these missteps make us less in the eyes of God. However, Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Jesus did not call perfect people to accompany him. He called a tax collector who cheated people, a man who denied knowing him, a man who betrayed him, a man who doubted him.

When we acknowledge our wounds and weaknesses, we can be healed. If we try to cover them up, we can become depressed and morose. We do not convey the joy and hopefulness that Christians ought to bring to our world. We fail to be the loving individuals God calls us to be.

Even if we have been through times of darkness, we can still be assured of God's love. We ought not be among the "walking wounded," but admit that we need healing. Then, we can also lift others up through our honesty and openness.