Summer Reading

I have been spending the summer with Henri Nouwen. With his writings that is. One of the great spiritual writers of modern times, he was a dearly loved and respected priest who touched many lives with his devotion to God and others.

Over and over, his words bring me back to the core of my spirituality: intimacy with Christ and the generous giving of my self to others.

In spite of so many apparent differences (age, denomination, gender, nationality, calling), I have discovered several places of spiritual connection. Like me, he would rather be busy than to sit quietly and meditate. But he also feared wasting his life on what may be eternally insignificant. He knew the prestige of a professorship at Harvard and Yale, but chose to minister among the mentally disabled in Toronto. Described by a friend as a "restless man of great depth and vulnerability", Henri was never content with a static relationship with His God.

I have benefited greatly from his recorded spiritual journey. Here are a few selections from the book The Heart of Henri Nouwen: His Words of Blessing, edited by Rebecca Laird and Michael J. Christensen.

"Prayer is the discipline of the moment. When we pray, we enter into the presence of God whose name is God-with-us."

"To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It is more than a word of praise or appreciation; it is more than pointing out someone's talents or good deeds...To give a blessing is to affirm, to say 'yes' to a person's Belovedness."

"First of all, our life itself is the greatest gift to give--something we constantly forget... The real question is not 'What can we offer each other?' but 'Who can we be for each other?...When I ask myself, 'Who helps me the most?' I must answer, 'The one who is willing to share his or her life with me.'"

"God and only God knows us in our essence, loves us well, forgives us fully, and remembers us for who we truly are."

If you would like some encouragement and guidance on your spiritual journey, visit the web site of my friend Deborah Brunt (www.keytruths.com) and sign up for her newsletter Perspectives.