November 2007 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

. Continue from ...... Following Jesus Leave everything behind and follow me The story of the rich young man, which I read in both French and English during the Eucharist, continues to captivate me. "Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, "There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; then come, follow me.' But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth," (Mk. 10:21-22). Jesus loved this young man and, as I understand it, desired to have him as a disciple. But the young man's life was too complex; he had too many things to worry about, too many affairs to take care of, too many people to relate to. He couldn't let go of his concerns, and thus, disappointed and downcast, he left Jesus. Jesus was sad, the young man was sad, and today I feel sad because I wonder how different his life would have been had he been free enough to follow Jesus. He came, heard, but then left. We never hear of him again. Every year we remember Peter, John, and James, the three disciples Jesus loved so much. But this man, whom Jesus also loved in a special way and also invited to become a witness to the good news, remains unknown. He never became a follower of Jesus and never made his mark on the history of the church as these other disciples did. If Francis of Assisi had remained in business, he would certainly not be remembered so fondly today. I feel like praying tonight that my life might become simple enough for me to be able to say "yes" when Jesus looks at me with love and invites me to leave everything behind and follow him. Missing that moment would not only sadden Jesus and me but would, in a way, also be a refusal to take my true place in God's work of salvation. Jessie's Threat John Fraser, the European correspondent of the Globe and Mail, one of Canada's national newspapers, came to visit Madame Vanier. I was invited for tea. We talked about the people of China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, the Catholic Church in the Philippines and North Korea, and the Pope John Paul's visit ot Holland. John Fraser is a well-travelled, very knowledgeable journalist who is both a keen observer of world events and a man with a deep personal interest in the religious life. Among all his stories about world events, John told us a small story about his daughter Jessie. It is this story I will remember most: One morning when Jessie was four years old, she found a dead sparrow in front of the living room window. The little bird had killed itself by flying into the glass. When Jessie saw the dead bird she was both deeply disturbed and very intrigued. She asked her father, "Where is the bird now?" John said he didn't know. "Why did it die?" she asked again. "Well," John said hesitantly, "because all birds return to the earth." "Oh," said Jessie, "then we have to bury it." A box was found, the little bird was laid in the box, a paper napkin was added as a shroud, and a few minutes later a little procession was formed with Daddy, Mama, Jessie, and her little sister. Daddy carried the box, Jessie the homemade cross. After a grave was dug and the little sparrow was buried, John put a piece of moss over the grave and Jessie planted the cross upon it. Then John asked Jessie, "Do you want to say a prayer?" "Yes," replied Jessie firmly, and after having told her baby sister in no uncertain terms to fold her hands, she prayed: "Dear God, we have buried this little sparrow. Now you be good to her or I will kill you. Amen." As they walked home, John said to Jessie, "You didn't have to threaten God." Jessie answered, "I just wanted to be sure." Well, among all the stories about the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and the other leaders of this world, Jessie's story told me most about the human heart: compassionate - but ready to kill when afraid. Whether we become merciful people or killers depends very much on who tells us what life is about. John, who had to tell so many stories about violence, murder, oppression, and other human sins, wanted Jessie to learn another story. His deep love for his family made that very clear.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2007. All rights reserved.