A good friend of mine, Kathryn Talor, sent me a link to this article yesterday: Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith. According to her own testimony, Mother Teresa seemed to have lived in a "dark night of the soul" for nearly her entire ministry. That's almost 50 years! What an example of radical obedience even in the midst of such inner turmoil. O God, may your grace carry me so.
Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.
— Mother Teresa to the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, September 1979
2 comments:
It has been interesting to see what the news coverage of her letters has done, the different perspectives each of them take can be interesting.
Some hint that this is a blow against Christianity, calling out that one of our greatest laborers wasn't even sure.
Yet, I agree with you. What a testimony of persevering through life's trials. When you think about what she surrounded herself with, it is quite hard to think any one of us wouldn't doubt.
I love the honesty of her words, oh to live life like that. Transparently, at least before those who are our closest allies and confidants. Yet, what would it look like if we all lived that transparently before the whole world?
I felt that same thing Chris. I just about closed the article after the first page. (I really didn't think anything neutral could come from CNN.) My curiosity propelled me to read on.
The author hooked me after talking about St. Paul of the Cross' dark night of the soul. I thought, "Maybe this guy actually did some homework."
In my young life I have experienced two seasons of extreme dryness, one that I might call a "dark night". I can't imagine living in that for years on end. Yet leaving the Lord never crossed her mind, even during her most honest confessions of doubt and pain. Reminds of someone else who recorded a bunch of psalms.
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