Abstract
Soul caregivers often hesitate to be vulnerable in their pastoral practices. Jesus, however, embraced his vulnerabilities as a human to redeem humanity even though he was the Son of God. This paper first explores the dynamics of shame and power that make soul caregivers reluctant to accept their vulnerabilities and then describes the contributions of sharing caregiver’s vulnerabilities in a soul care practice. This article argues that being vulnerable allows a soul caregiver to imitate Jesus by sharing in the client’s common humanity, initiating an authentic relationship between the client and the soul caregiver; it is also a practice of humility, inviting God’s cure in soul care. This study proposes the necessity of embracing vulnerability in soul care ministry, instead of hiding it.
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Notes
Brown (2012) points out that weakness is considered as a negative quality of humanity because its lexical definition involves “inability.” However, weakness, like vulnerability, is not good or bad in the Christian scheme. Rather, it is a genuine experience of finite human beings. (e.g., 2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
VanGemeren (1996) explains that creation, including human beings, is not marked by perfection, but it is suitable for its purpose. The new creation will be perfect, holy, and characterized by the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vulnerability itself is not a synonym for authenticity. However, as caregivers honestly disclose their limitations, weakness, or wounds, care receivers can see that the caregivers are genuine in relationship and therefore can be also authentic in sharing mutual trust and empathy. In this sense, exposing vulnerability can be a part of authentic relationship. At this point, the practice of being vulnerable is not the spiritual exhibitionism that often says, “I suffer from the same depression, confusion and anxiety as you do, so don’t worry.” Making one’s vulnerabilities a source of soul care does not call for a sharing of superficial personal pains but for a constant willingness to see one’s own pain and suffering as rising from the depth of the human condition which all men share (Nouwen 2005, p. 80).
Schlauch (1990) explains that a person experience the self-object as at once a separated self and as a self with whom one is internally connected.
For Rogers (1995), Christian discipline or instruction can be a primary example of expecting an ideal self, and thus, it judges people’s experience and act according to rules and evaluation of authority figures. He said, “[T]rue empathy is always free of any evaluative or diagnostic quality.” Providing the empathic acceptance without judgment is called “unconditional positive regard.” (p. 154).
Even though a fully functioning individual’s self-fulfillment for Rogers would be the person’s free and loving expressions, such as charity and kindness, all the expressions depend on the person’s subjective evaluations and judgments about a given circumstance. (Jones and Butman 1991, p. 258).
Powlison (2003) states, “God has blessed [us] because his Son fulfilled the conditions [we] could never achieve. Contrary to what [we] deserve, he loves [us]. And now [we] can begin to change, not to earn love, but because [we]’ve already received it.” In the assurance of faith that God’s contraconditional love will forgive the person and stifle sin, a soul caregiver can discern and confront the person’s sinful desires and acts according to the Bible, and exhort repentance and responsibility toward God’s good will (p. 169–70).
Johnson (2007) puts it, “The infinitely joyful God is alone capable of supplying human blessedness, because he alone is filled with overflowing blessedness. And he himself is inclined to do so, because his blessedness consists in part in perfect compassion toward humans, including his design to rescue them from their suffering and brokenness and their sin and condemnation. (p. 43). To understand how God is good for the soul in detail, see also Johnson (2003, March 1).
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Kim, K. The Power of Being Vulnerable in Christian Soul Care: Common Humanity and Humility. J Relig Health 56, 355–369 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0294-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0294-8