Life is a Gift to be Shared
What then is care? The word care finds its origin in the word kara,
which means “to lament, to mourn, to participate in suffering, to share
in pain.” To care is to cry out with those who are ill, confused,
lonely, isolated, and forgotten, and to recognize their pains in our own
heart. To care is to enter into the world of those who are only touched
by hostile hands, to listen attentively to those whose words are only
heard by greedy ears, and to speak gently with those who are used to
harsh orders and impatient requests. To care is to be present to those
who suffer and to stay present even when nothing can be done to change
their situation. To care is to be compassionate and so to form a
community of people honestly facing the painful reality of our finite
existence. To care is the most human gesture, in which the courageous
confession of our common brokenness does not lead to paralysis but to
community. When the humble confession of our basic human brokenness
forms the ground from which all skillful healing comes forth, then cure
can be welcomed not as a property to be claimed, but as a gift to be
shared in gratitude.
Henri Nouwen
