Book Review Part 2

I want to share more from the book Adam; God's Beloved. This book is about a handicapped friend of Henri Nouwen's.

Nouwen writes, "Adam was sent to bring Good News to the world. It was his mission, as it was the mission of Jesus. Adam was--very simply, quietly, and uniquely--there! He was a person, who by his very life announced the marvelous mystery of our God: I am precious, beloved, whole, and born of God. Adam bore silent witness to this mystery, which has nothing to do with whether or not he could speak, walk, or express himself, whether or not he made money, had a job, was fashionable, famous, married or single. It had to do with his being. He was and is a beloved child of God. It is the same news that Jesus came to announce, and it is the news that all those who are poor keep proclaiming in and through their very weakness. Life is a gift. Each one of us is unique, known by name, and loved by the One who fashioned us."

I think that Adam's gift to the world was his helplessness and vulnerability. He helped others to see that in their weakness, vulnerability, and helplessness, they are loved by God and precious to Him. He showed people that they are beloved and valuable apart from their productivity. This is very powerful truth, and we all desperately need to get this, because it sets us free and gives our hearts rest.

As I was reading Psalm 145 today, I was struck by the indiscriminate love that God has for EVERYBODY: "The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works....The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. The open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

Our wonderful God is kind and gracious to everyone, and we don't have to earn it!