THE HENRI NOUWEN SPIRITUALITY SERIES
A Spirituality of Living
Copyright © 2011 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust.
All rights reserved.
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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The New Jerusalem Bible, copyright © 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission.
Scripture quotations designated NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover and Interior Design: Sue Smith and Pearson & Co.
Cover art: Gogh, Vincent van (1888). Men Unloading a Boat at Arles. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain /Art Resource, NY.
Photo on page 62 by Mary Ellen Kronstein. Used by permission.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nouwen, Henri J. M.
A spirituality of living / by Henri J. M. Nouwen.
p. cm. — (The Henri Nouwen spirituality series)
“Henri J.M. Nouwen’s works cited”--P.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN 978-0-8358-1088-3
1. Christian life--Catholic authors. I. Title.
BX2350.3.N6925 2012
248.4'82—dc23
2011036058
Printed in the United States of America
ABOUT THE HENRI NOUWEN SPIRITUALITY SERIES
Henri Nouwen sought the center of things. Never content to observe life from the sidelines, his approach to new experiences and relationships was full throttle. He looked at the world with the enthusiastic anticipation of a child, convinced that right in the midst of life he would find the God who loves us without conditions. Helping us recognize this God in the very fabric of our lives was the enduring passion of Henri’s life and ministry.
The Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series embodies Henri’s legacy of compassionate engagement with contemporary issues and concerns. Developed through a partnership between the Henri Nouwen Society and Upper Room Ministries, the Series offers fresh presentations of themes close to Henri’s heart. We hope each volume will help you discover that in your daily round God is closer than you think.
PREFACE
This book is coherent, compelling, and contains one of the most important teachings that Henri Nouwen ever gave. It is the fruit of Henri Nouwen’s life as an academic, his deep engagement in the lives of countless people, his capacity for self-reflection, and his grounding in the life, spirit, and teaching of Jesus. It is not voluminous. While it probably did not take Henri a long time to write this text, it is the life wisdom of one of the spiritual masters of our time.
Each of us longs to live well, to experience love and belonging, to be connected to family and friends, and to make our unique contribution to others. But what path shall we take? What will lead us to the fulfillment of our deepest longings? In short, how shall we live? Henri offers us a spirituality that addresses these questions—a spirituality for living, a spirituality that has the potential to transform our lives.
I met Henri Nouwen in 1984 at Jean Vanier’s L’Arche community in Trosly-Breuil, France. Henri was on a sabbatical from Harvard University, living in L’Arche, and I was a worker-assistant in the same community. We began a friendship that deepened over the next decade as we both assumed leadership within L’Arche.
I knew, of course, that Henri was a teacher and a writer; he had degrees in psychology and theology and had positions at prestigious universities. But I discovered that he was also a lifelong student of himself and others. Our personal friendship and work in the context of L’Arche gave me an unexpected glimpse into Henri’s own exploration of life’s most important questions. And I was an eyewitness to his deep listening to others—people from all walks of life, of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, both the weak and the strong.
Henri accompanied people who were falling in love and those who were grieving the loss of a failed relationship. He came close to and sat with people who were dying. He joyfully joined in the private and public celebrations of new birth. Henri listened deeply to people who were social justice activists and also to others who felt drawn to a more inner, contemplative way of living. Henri walked with people who were depressed and suicidal as well as those who were at the prime of their personal creativity. He was friends with people who had enormous wealth and those whose only wealth was the largesse of their hearts.
Through all of this Henri came to know the contours of the human heart.
Like others before him, Henri believed that our journey to become more fully human is a spiritual journey that begins and ends in the heart of God. And as a spiritual cartographer, he mapped out a path that we can follow.
In the following pages, Henri invites us to think about our lives in terms of three interconnected “moments” that he sees modeled in the life of Jesus: solitude, community, and compassionate service to others. It is through solitude and prayer that we can stay in touch with our truest identity as children of God. This leads us into relationships with others in community where we learn to celebrate and forgive. Then, it is these relationships that sustain us as we reach out to serve others through compassionate ministry.
Henri’s deepest longings were touched as he made the choice to enter into this cycle of solitude, community, and compassionate ministry. He offers this path to us, convinced that it will be fruitful for you and me.
Henri is a credible guide. He “walked the talk” of this spirituality throughout his life. He fought “demons” along his own journey and stood with others as they fought their demons. He learned not to be afraid of suffering—his own, that of others, or the suffering of the world.
Above all, Henri strove to live a faithful life. He wanted to be faithful to God, to his own unique gifts, to his community, and to the cry of suffering he heard all around him. His spiritual vision for living is grounded in his desire to live in the truth of his life. Is that not the aspiration of us all?
By entering into solitude, engaging others in
