Henri Nouwen died 24 yrs ago on Sept 21 1996 in Amsterdam, surrounded by his siblings and 90-yr-old father. He was on his way to Russia to film a documentary about his favorite painting, Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal Son.” I realized today that he was my age now, 64.
Conversation
Henri’s whole life was in many ways a restless search for his true home. He came the closest in his last 10 years in the L’Arche community in Toronto. Living with handicapped adults, his themes of peacemaking, community, ministry, and prayer became concrete and real.
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Before his death he visited me to deliver the ms for what turned out to be his final book, “Adam”--an expression of his personal creed thru the story of a particular handicapped man who had taught him what it means to be Beloved of God.
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10 yrs before, when I told him about my new job at Orbis he wondered whether I had the “human gifts” for this type of work. I was mystified. But he was right. I had a lot to learn. (See here my reflections.)
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Before he died he wrote an over-the-top endorsement for my book “All Saints.” I then included him in the book. He is not the kind of “saint” who makes us want to be like him—but the restless seeker who opens a path to holiness for all who struggle amidst doubts and uncertainties.
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“Dear Lord, I will remain restless, tense and dissatisfied until I can be totally at peace in your house. There is no certainty that my life will be any easier in the years ahead, or that my heart will be any calmer. But there is the certainty that you are waiting for me ...
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...and will welcome me home when I have persevered in my long journey to your house.” --Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) PS After his funeral I received a letter from Henri, "looking forward to working together in the years ahead."
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The book is certainly one of the masterpieces of spiritual writing in English of the 20th century--perhaps in the whole history of English spiritual writing. I am enduringly grateful to him for his wisdom.
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Thank you for sharing of this relationship. It means the world to me.
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