Chungsoo J. Lee
A philosophic and religious corner
Becoming Human, an audio lectures by Jean Vanier


    Jean Vanier was a Canadian naval officer, later became an Aristotelian
    philosopher, and taught at University of Toronto before founding L'Arche and
    Faith and Light, both international networks of communities for people with
    intellectual disabilities.  In 1997, he received the Paul VI Prize for his work on
    behalf of human development and progress.

    Becoming Human is a compilation of the 5 Massey Lectures he delivered in
    1998.  "In this provocative work, Jean Vanier shares his profoundly human
    vision for creating a common good that radically changes our communities, our
    relationships, and ourselves.  He proposes that by opening ourselves to
    outsiders, those we perceive as weak, different, or inferior, we can achieve
    true personal and social freedom" (from the CBC Audio CD jacket).

    A true and exemplary model of Christian intellectual in practice, Jean Vanier
    shows what a human community should be like as preached by Jesus and
    other great religious leaders and understands love and forgiveness as practiced
    concretely in the kingdom of God on earth.  

    Here are his five Massey Lectures recorded in 1998 by CBC Audio in MP3
    format:



    Lecture 3: From Exclusion to Inclusion: A Path of Healing (I, II, III, IV, V, VI)






    "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never
    enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1).


    "I sometimes find that it is very difficult for people to be so-called "normal."
    Our world is a world of incredible tension. I found with Raphael and Philippe,
    the first two people I began to live with, that I began to discover myself. I
    began to find the child in myself. I was never so happy as when I was living
    with them in a very simple way in a little house, working together, having fun
    together, praying together. That is to say, I sensed a completely new meaning
    to my life, very different from when I was in the navy, very different from
    when I was teaching philosophy, but something much more fulfilling. It was a
    place where it was quite clear that Jesus was present."


                                                    From the interview by Lydia Talbot