The vulnerable man

The title of this entry is taken from one of my favorite songs from the new Alanis Morissette album. The words "vulnerable" and "man" rarely go together. We're supposed to be macho, closed-off, and mysterious. We're not supposed to open our inner-selves allowing others to see our softer side. Earlier tonight the vulnerability from two of my closest friends was in full-force and it was a thing of beauty. To me, it was ultimate connectedness as we listened to each other's stories of brokenness and past pains. It brought us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a bit more fully human as we practiced compassion and entered into each other's suffering.

This made me realize that I am not alone. Through common experiences and solidarity, I have brothers to journey with me. We all realized that the journey would be challenging and the path to wholeness would be an uphill climb. So we naturally posed the question of whether we could ever get rid of some of our dysfunctions. Reluctantly we agreed that it was unlikely, that we would have to constantly grind the axe and keep churning the wheel of character development, while maintaining hope for a better future. It's a tension and it is one of many that mark our Christian journey.