Only “Wounded Healers” Can Ever Be “Wound Healers” for Jesus

2/19/2026

“Think of us as fellow-patients in the same hospital, who, having been admitted a little earlier, might give some advice.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity:

My note in the margins of my Bible, in tiny ballpoint pen characters from 30 years ago, based on what Paul was saying in 2 Corinthians chapter 1:

Only “wounded healers” can ever be “wound healers” for Jesus, on planet Earth. Anything else actually violates the gospel—God’s plan for honest introspective humans. You can’t see others properly until you see yourself properly.

It seems so backwards. Satan says, “Only perfect people can be trusted, though we may love other people out of pity because we’re better than them.” But “lest any man or woman boast”: the CS Lewis quote is part of the gospel. Lewis, like Paul and everyone else—no exceptions—was a mess, and not just “in the past” according to John and Paul himself.

LIFE and FRUIT? How?

Only “wounded healers” can ever be “wound healers” for Jesus, on planet Earth.

It’s the only way we can learn how to love humans through the eyes of the blood of Jesus, rather than the dishonest judgment of others as we look at ourselves, or don’t look at ourselves, to our own demise.

Everything always goes back, as God planned, to the perfect Garden where humans get to decide between the tree of self-righteous judgment without God, or the Tree where God calls us in humility to judge by the fruit of Life, not anything else.

The Tree of seeing ourselves, our friends, and other people who want to repent, through the eyes of Jesus blood, not externals or failures or nose rings, is the only place Jesus can be found, rather than religion.

It’s really, really hard to do. But still, as Lewis said, and my revelation and experience many, many years ago...

Only “wounded healers” can ever be “wound healers” for Jesus, on planet Earth.

That’s the ecosystem.

Be there, or be square.

And blue.

And isn’t it true, that Jesus came to earth so that He could be the ultimate “wounded healer”? He became human in every way, being wounded in every way, that He could heal this wounded world; He could heal me. He allowed His spotless self to be wounded that He could heal, and those He has healed, though they still bear the scars and discover new wounds, could heal those around them.

For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

•  A "Wound Healer"