Nouwen, Henri J.M. - Life Of The Beloved

[Hans Deventer]

This book was written in reply to a request. One of Nouwen's friends, a secular Jewish New York Times reporter named Fred Bratman, wanted him to write something for him and his secular friends. He felt Henri had something to say, but needed to put it in different words to communicate to today's non-religious people.

So this books describes how we are loved by God. If focusses on 4 key words in our lives: we are "taken" (or elected), "blessed", "broken" and "given". And it tries explain how to live as such.

The irony of the book is that in the Epilogue, Nouwen shares how Fred wasn't impressed with the result when he read the manuscript. He felt Nouwen passed by some essential questions he had, like, "Does God exist at all?" Nouwen's reply is that he cannot prove that in an argumentive way. He kind of felt like a fish, needing to prove it lives in the water.
Some other friends that read the manuscript convinced him it was worth publishing anyway, and I agree. If you accept that God exists, this is a book to live by, a book that can give shape and meaning to your life.

BTW, I read it in a Dutch translation. Kind of weird, to read the Dutch translation of an English book by a Dutch author.

[Andrew Henck]

This was one of the several books I took with me for the long plane ride on my trip to South Africa.

I am growing to love Henri Nouwen and his works. He writes some amazing and profound things that I think many can be challenged and learn from.

[Brad Mercer]

I just last night watched a DVD from Netflix entitled: "Journey of the Heart: Henri Nouwen (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70042015&trkid=90529)". It's about an hour long and features extensive interviews with him from about a year before he died, as well as interviews with his siblings, associates and students filmed after he died.

I had tears in my eyes through a good bit of it. I want to be him when I grow up. Everyone who worked with him knew his struggles and faults because he lived openly and honestly and vulnerably with them, and yet they all consider him to be a saint, a profound thinker, a great Christian and a brilliant teacher of the Good News by both word and example.

What kind of man would leave behind tenured teaching positions at places like Harvard and Yale to go live and work at a little residential facility for mentally retarded adults who couldn't even read his widely admired books?

I don't have much to give up, but I want to be like him (and like Him) when I grow up.

Love,
Brad

[Hans Deventer]

Brad, there are not many Dutchmen that make me proud to be Dutch, and make me want to follow them as they follow Christ, but this man does. I guess that's why Erik and I bought you "The Return Of The Prodigal Son".