Reading: Chapter 4 Adam’s Way
Welcome to week three! We’ve had such a beautiful discussion so far. Thank you to each one for your vulnerability and courage to share. It is safe to say, your contribution is touching someone else’s heart.
In this Chapter Henri gives us three examples of how Adam’s “way” of being and of living had a profound impact on other people. Again, we see a deepening of the themes Henri has already raised, so feel free to re-visit themes we’ve already touched on in earlier weeks.
1) Henri shares three stories, one of Fr. Bruno, another of Cathy and finally of himself. Each of these three were living a different life experience, and Adam was able to touch their life where they most needed it.
a) Which of the three stories do you most identify with and why?
b) How does Adam’s “way” speak to you in your current life experience?
2) Henri shares the story of his own journey, and reflects that “I was challenged to believe that even when I had nothing to show for myself, I was still God’s beloved son” (p79).
a) Have you had a similar experience of a low point in your life, with nothing to “show” for yourself? How did you believe and claim the love of God for you in that time? And/or…
b) How will you now?
3) “In our society plagued by fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and a sense of being lost, we keep looking for guides” (p81). Many of us have the privilege and responsibility of being a guide for others, and many of us have sought good guides to help us along the journey. Henri indicates the risk that a guide can becoming too controlling and the receiver too dependant.
a) How does Adam’s way give you fresh insight into how to be a good guide for others?
b) How did Adam’s powerlessness allow him to be a pure instrument of God’s healing power? What does that mean for you?
We very much look forward to another wonderful week, and hearing how the readings spoke to each of you.
Ray and Brynn