Henri Nouwen's three meditations on the Christian life presented in this little book seem so simple - and so deep. The book is divided into three sections: Out of Solitude, With Care, and In Expectation. Here are my thoughts on the first part:
Mark 1:32-39
Action is born out of solitude. Time alone gives rise to effective ministry. “Surrounded by hours of moving, we find a moment of quiet stillness (Nouwen, p. 17).” We are to cultivate a lonely place within, where only our Father has access – where he rests in the midst of every storm.
Our Life in Action
“…although the desire to be useful can be a sign of mental and spiritual health in out goal-oriented society, it can also become a source of a paralyzing lack of self-esteem (pp. 21-22).”
It is all too easy to define our worth (or worthlessness) according to the success (or failure) of our actions – as perceived by ourselves and others through the lens of the norm. We emphasize success, yet we live our lives in constant fear that the real us will be discovered – that others will see us for what we really are: “not as smart, as good, or as lovable as the world was made to believe (p. 23).” We give ourselves over to – and are enslaved by – the illusions we have constructed around ourselves. Adaptation is mistaken for intention, seduction for reality (Young, p. 123).
Our Life in Solitude
“A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a quiet center, easily becomes destructive (Nouwen, p. 25).”
Solitude is defined as the state of being or living alone; remoteness from habitations; a lonely unfrequented place; absence of human activity (Dictionary.com). In such a place, we can learn to rest free from the compulsion to define ourselves by what we can grab, conquer, claim. We can become open and receptive, defining our lives in gratitude by what is given to us. This frees us to give and share, rather than take and defend. It loosens our grip on the world and the world’s grip on us. We learn to see worth as distinctly other than usefulness. Results and success loose their power over us.
By nature of the fact that we are born into this world and are continuously surrounded and fed by it, we love our world. Solitude sets a healthy distance between us and the world, allowing us to see it more objectively – revealing its false realities.
Mark 1:32-39
Action is born out of solitude. Time alone gives rise to effective ministry. “Surrounded by hours of moving, we find a moment of quiet stillness (Nouwen, p. 17).” We are to cultivate a lonely place within, where only our Father has access – where he rests in the midst of every storm.
Our Life in Action
“…although the desire to be useful can be a sign of mental and spiritual health in out goal-oriented society, it can also become a source of a paralyzing lack of self-esteem (pp. 21-22).”
It is all too easy to define our worth (or worthlessness) according to the success (or failure) of our actions – as perceived by ourselves and others through the lens of the norm. We emphasize success, yet we live our lives in constant fear that the real us will be discovered – that others will see us for what we really are: “not as smart, as good, or as lovable as the world was made to believe (p. 23).” We give ourselves over to – and are enslaved by – the illusions we have constructed around ourselves. Adaptation is mistaken for intention, seduction for reality (Young, p. 123).
Our Life in Solitude
“A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a quiet center, easily becomes destructive (Nouwen, p. 25).”
Solitude is defined as the state of being or living alone; remoteness from habitations; a lonely unfrequented place; absence of human activity (Dictionary.com). In such a place, we can learn to rest free from the compulsion to define ourselves by what we can grab, conquer, claim. We can become open and receptive, defining our lives in gratitude by what is given to us. This frees us to give and share, rather than take and defend. It loosens our grip on the world and the world’s grip on us. We learn to see worth as distinctly other than usefulness. Results and success loose their power over us.
By nature of the fact that we are born into this world and are continuously surrounded and fed by it, we love our world. Solitude sets a healthy distance between us and the world, allowing us to see it more objectively – revealing its false realities.
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