The Wind in the Trees

In his book, “The Wounded Healer,” Henri Nouwen tells the story of a young fugitive who was taken in by people of a small village and given a place to stay.

Eventually, however, enemy soldiers came and demanded to be told where the young man was hiding. When the people hesitated, the soldiers threatened to kill every man, woman and child by dawn if the man they sought was not turned over to them.

Frightened, the people turned to their beloved pastor for guidance.
Torn between deserting his people and betraying the young man, the pastor went to his room and began reading his bible in hope of finding an answer. He read all night, and finally, just before sunrise, he came to the words, “It is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed”.

Trembling, the pastor walked outside and told the soldiers where to find the youth. As they took the fugitive away to be executed, the people in the village began celebrating and feasting because their lives had been spared. The pastor, however, did not celebrate with them – instead he went to his room with a deep heaviness.

In the evening an angel appeared to him and asked, “What have you done?” The pastor replied slowly, “I betrayed the fugitive.” “But didn’t you know that the fugitive you betrayed is the Messiah.” “No! No!” groaned the pastor, “How could I have known?” The angel replied, “If you had set down your Bible and gone to the fugitive and looked into his eyes you would have known!”

I believe studying and meditating on the bible are extremely important activities. As we do that, however, we find the bible itself telling us that having all the right beliefs (“all knowledge” ) is absolutely useless if we do not love.¹ It says knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.² Everyone who loves has been born of God while those who do not love do not know God.³

Having right beliefs is critical and the right belief, according to the bible, is that love is preeminent.

Sometimes Christians think that if they give the bible first place, everything else will fall into line. They will be guaranteed to live a life pleasing to God. Not true. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day diligently studied the bible. Nevertheless, Jesus said they were disqualified from eternal life because they didn’t love.⁴

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, two Israelite leaders pass by a man beaten badly by thieves while a Samaritan goes to extraordinary lengths to help him. These leaders had infinitely better beliefs than the non-Jewish Samaritan. However, Jesus tells us to follow his example, not theirs.

Jesus commended an “immoral woman,” probably a prostitute, and condemned the self-righteous religious leader who judged her. Why? Because, although he was much more knowledgeable about the bible, she loved more than he did⁵.

The greatest lover is the greatest saint.

I must admit to my shame that too often I have focused on believing the right things rather than loving others. I am now determined to put my beliefs into practice by actually loving flesh and blood human beings rather than merely having those beliefs.

The bible reveals Jesus Christ and his gospel of love and peace. Therefore, it is necessary to study it. However, as Henri Nouwen’s parable teaches, we must then put down our bibles, look into the eyes of those around us and learn to whole-heartedly love them.

1. 1 Cor. 13:2 ↩︎
2. 1 Cor. 8:1 ↩︎
3. 1 John 4:7-8 ↩︎
4. John 5:39-42 ↩︎
5. Luke 7:36-50 ↩︎