This month we explore the theme of healing. Most people carry wounds of some sort and many continue to suffer from experiences that were traumatic. In our exploration we will consider resources from religion and science that can facilitate healing.  

The notion that wounds can be birth pains to human wholeness has grounding in many spiritual traditions. “A Christian community,” Henri Nouwen writes, is “a healing community, not because wounds are cured and pains are alleviated, but because wounds and pains become openings or occasions for new visions.”  The Sufi mystic Rumi wrote, “The wound is the place where the light enters you.”  

The notion that even traumatic wounds can lead to human development is supported by scientific evidence. Psychologists, for example, have produced a substantial body of literature on what has become known as “post-traumatic growth.”  

We cannot escape pain. Yet the pain we feel and the wounds we carry need not debilitate nor incapacitate us. Join us for services this month, stay for the deeper dialogue in our Soul Matters Sharing Circle, and discover the path of remaining with pain and drawing strength from that pain to nurture your spirit and help heal the world.