Vulnerable

We are, by nature, vulnerable. And it doesn't take much to reveal our vulnerability. An unwanted phone call from a doctor reveals our frailty. The painful words of a spouse's wayward intention will uncover it. There is no end to the ways we are vulnerable. A single moment can move our lives from confidence and competence to desperation and uneasiness, from calmness and certitude to pounding heart, shaking hands, and a soul crying out in pain.

These unwanted circumstances of life, which we could all reveal like scars from childhood, are not what makes us vulnerable. Rather, they simply reveal that we are vulnerable. The troubles that assail us pull back the covers of our illusions of safety and sufficiency.

So writes Dave Fleming in The Seeker's Way, a great book for anyone seeking to ignite a sense of wonder in their life. Fleming goes on to explain that the latin word for vulnerability, vulnero, means 'to wound'.

As humans, we are 'woundable'. And yet we do not fear this fact. Rather we can embrace the truth that we do not know everything; we are not in control; if we were then we would be God!

Living as a follower of Christ is to assume grace and mercy all around us. When we do not receive the grace and mercy we need from others, we are called to 'draw near to God', in order to draw from His abundance. When we are able to allow for this to happen, we no longer fear being vulnerable. We can simply allow God to be God, and surrender the throne that we have clung to for so long.

If we will not embark on the journey of vulnerability, we commit to a life of desperate isolation.

In the movie The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, the Pevensie children realize that they are in deep trouble without Aslan. Near the ned of the movie Peter calls for the troops to fall back when the battle appears all but lost. Retreat is the ultimate acknowledgement of vulnerability.

What happens next you say? You'll have to see the movie in order to experience the climax, but to quote an old Narnian rhyme:

Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.

James 4:8,10
Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.
When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.