Wounded Beauty
This isn't connected to anything that Nouewn's devotional has been focusing on the last few days but more connected to something I've been spending a lot of time with this week - forgiveness. My sermon on Sunday will be focusing upon that topic, based upon Luke 17:1-10. I saw this beautiful butterfly landing on the butterfly bush by our back door. After taking the picture, I noticed something rather unique about the butterfly - its damaged wing.
As I have been working through the subject of forgiveness this week, I have been reminded over and over about the woundedness that we each have. All of us have broken wings and scars from what has happened in our lives. And all of us have caused woundedness in others. The beauty and power of forgiveness is that it allows us to move beyond only the woundedness to something new and something restorative.
In his book, The Book of Forgiving, Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes:
There have been times when each and every one of us has needed to forgive. There have also been times when each and every one of us has needed to be forgiven. And there will be many times again. In our own ways, we are all broken. Out of that brokenness, we hurt others. Forgiveness is the journey we take toward healing the broken parts. It is how we become whole again.
Yes this butterfly is still "broken" and still wounded. But it has a unique and wonderful beauty - just as we are able to have when we live as forgiven and forgiving people.