Noting that modern man is above all a suffering man, he is psychologically wounded by lack of hope, my loneliness, by the predicament of rootlessness, professor Nouwen explains why the minister of today can only help others deal with these problems if he is willing to go beyond his professional role and leave himself open as a fellow human being with his own wounds and suffering.

Henri's writing becomes more and more familiar and comforting as I read more of his work. His style of organization follows a pattern that makes his approach clear and simple.

The wounded healer, someone who stays present to his or her own experience while connecting with and supporting others, continues to ring wise and true.

Several aspects of the book felt dated and were frequent enough to be distracting to me as a reader, for example, the phrase post-nuclear man and the repeated use of the male pronoun to frame references to leadership and ministry. Nevertheless, a worthwhile addition to my morning reflection.

"When the imitation of Christ does not mean to live a life like Christ, but to live your life as authentically as Christ lived his, then there are many ways and forms in which a man can be a Christian." 99 ( )

Ministers are called to identify the suffering in their own hearts and make that recognition the starting point of their service.

I've read only two of Nouwen's books so far, and just from those I can say his books warrant a 2nd and maybe a 3rd reading. His insights are rich, dense, and provoke a lot of contemplation. This is most definitely not a book to peruse through, but something to meditate on. I love the title- it perfectly describes the subject of this marvelous short book. People in helping professions develop their compassion and ability to help heal others by being wounded themselves, just as Christ was wounded. Highly recommend this book for pastors, counselors and anyone who wants to help others. ( )

This is a book to be read and re-read, but not so much read as absorbed. ( )