It wasn’t that Henri’s presentation was bad. He was simply more spiritually mature than I was – so much more mature that I was completely incapable of grasping his understanding of spirituality and the way that God transforms us.

Over the past six years I have been doing research on the spiritual transformation process. The middle two years were a black hole when little was intentionally accomplished on this project while I tried to sort out my frustration with the subject matter.

Upon returning to the project with a renewed sense of calling and energy two years ago, one of the tools the Lord provided was exposure to Henri Nouwen’s writing. After studying a few short pieces he wrote, I have read three of his books in the past two months and have truly enjoyed them. As I have come to realize, whatever his faults and quirks may have been – which he discussed quite openly – he was certainly a man motivated to know God more deeply and to become the Henri that God envisioned, not the Henri that Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, the church, L’Arche Community, or even Henri envisioned. His journey with God is an interesting trek. I have learned a lot about God, myself, spirituality and ministry from his honest reflections.

If you have never read any of his work, try Spiritual Direction, which was written and compiled in 2006, a decade after Henri’s death, by several of his protégés. It will give you a broad introduction to his ministry, his heart, and his mind. He was a man of substantial wisdom. Let me know what you think of the book if you get the chance to read it.

The others I’ve read so far: Life of the Beloved and The Return of the Prodigal Son – have also been interesting. If you are a Nouwen fan, which of his books has been most helpful to you, and what value did it add to your life?