The Inner Voice of Love

EXQUISITE...I was riveted by each spiritual imperative. How deep calls to deep. Every word unfolds in the heart as if the inner self of the reader is the writer in some fashion. Clearly an annointed book for all ages, all spiritual places. I sobbed just in reading the introduction as the pain Nouwen suffered is the same pain every human faces. When willing to read from a place of deep quiet and honesty w self this book is transformative. A spiritual giant born of great suffering and greater hope in Christ

Wow...Let me say it again: WOW!!! This book will change you. It does not matter who you are or what your story is...if you are a human being...this book will change you. Stop reading this review for a moment. Go buy the book. Come back and I will tell you more:OK then. Now that you have purchased a copy (if you haven't I'm serious-go do it) lets talk about the book you will soon posses---or should I say will soon posses you. This book is amazing. It is the chronicle, told with heartbreaking honesty, of one man's ascent from darkness to light; from death to life...from nothingness to the arms of God. This is not a story however. There is no narrative. It is a collection of spiritual imperatives that Henri Nouwen wrote to himself during the worst spiritual, emotional, and psychological crisis of his life. Each one drips with meaning. Each imperative is soaked in the power and grace that can only come from passing through the fire of human suffering. This stuff is what was left at the end of each day Henri spent in the refining fires of his struggles. There is no dross here.God has clearly spoken here in and through this man. Get this book and listen to what He has to say.

You do not have to be Catholic to learn from and appreciate what Henri Nouwen has to say. He will touch your soul. Demonimational differences are moot. You do not have to be suffering from personal anguish to relate to Nouwen's words. His hunger for relationship with others and God are part of the common human experience. This book is a gift of "words". Words we have, at one time or another, tried so inadequately to find to explain our hunger to ourselves. Read it piece by precious piece and keep going back to it. It will keep you in touch with your own humaness, sensitive to the humaness of others, it will sand away the callouses of life and help you to focus on what is really of value.

This book is an honest journey of the human experience and enables one to understand the meaning of life. It is very useful to all adults whether one is dealing with first hand depression or someone close to you is. He is able to reach the inner most sensitive parts of every human being and give comfort where there is pain. This is a book that needs to be kept out so one can read it at anytime, any chapter. It shows how going through very painful periods in this physical world lead to peace and valuable information that needs to be shared. It looks at life through very healthy eyes with God as our director. I don't think anyone could possibly read this book and not feel hopeful afterwards.

Once again, Henri Nouwen brings us closer to his own heart and to the heart of God. His journey, a journey of anguish, leads ultimately to freedom. As he wrestles with the God who formed him, with the inner struggles that shape him, with the world that confines him, he struggles to fuller understanding of self, and in the process, a fuller understanding of God. For this reader, I am fortunate to have spiritual guides like Nouwen who have led me through the valley to the bright morning of renewed strength, of victory over the darkness of the closet, and of freedom in the spirit of Christ. When I read the chapter on 'Bringing your Body Home to God,' I had the most intense spiritual experience of my life, as I brought what I had seen, up to that time, as my imperfect body, the body of a gay man, home to God and had him receive me "Just as I Am," His child, created to enjoy His world and His gifts. There is no question that one of those gifts is Henri Nouwen. I encourage any reader who is suffering the anguish of darkness in his or her spirit -- pick up this little book and let your journey move forward to resolution. Freedom has a price, but the joy far outweighs the costs!

Henri Nouwen's autobiographical reflections are penetrative in that one can feel their relevance in a personal way. Nouwen experienced a transcendent crisis that made him leave a place he loved. He found himself chagrined by the fact that many consider him a spiritual model and yet his crisis was pulling him into despair. His knowledge and even his experience to this point could not preserve him from the full field of appraisal that penetrated his life.Many of Nouwen's reflections are basic spiritual disci;lines. For instance, he says that one should not look for love from the place in which one ministers. The source of love for the minister, he maintains, is the community to which the minister belongs. Thus, the religious should look to his or her community for support. The lay minister has a family or a social group who can offer the kind of intimacy the minister needs. Very often Nouwen comments that one needs to trust in God. Appreciative abadonment fo the mystery is what will bring the soul back into relationship with God. Each reflection is one or two pages in length. It is advisable to read this book slowly to absorb its religious and spiritual power. One reflection a day accompanied with meditation will help the reader experience what Nouwen is conveying. There are books that have relevance for one's spiritual life. This book penetrates into one's unique constellation and calls forth a surrender to God.