Summary
Nouwen’s ‘Reaching out’ presents a model that releases Christians and people in general to live in the ‘Spirit of Jesus’. According to Nouwen, Christians have to learn to outlive the tension created by an elusive state, loneliness and personal hostility. As he opines, the human life often shifts between two poles of fruitful and stressful living and hence, the temptation to be indifferent is real to all hence the inner cry for true spirituality among many. Consequentially, the author argues that there is a need to shift from living in personal loneliness to embracing solitude and from living in hostility to embracing selfless hospitality. More importantly, Nouwen opines that there is the need to move from illusive thinking to developing an intimacy with God in prayer. Consequentially, critically appraising the documented facets of human life is essential, according to Nouwen, in modeling a realistic guide for spiritual living which involves the entire human experience. Through this thinking, the author fronts three paradigms for a true spiritual life and offers a pragmatic guide for culturing the discipline of discipleship.
The first movement in this regard is reaching out to our innermost self. This, according to Nouwen, represents the initial stage of moving from loneliness to solitude. His views in this regard, are largely influenced by the realization that every person faces struggles at one point in their lives and are required to have effective coping mechanisms. However, loneliness is a universal experience of life and consequentially, man always tries to address this loneliness. Often times however, this attempt is unfruitful since no competition, community, possession or person can offer satisfaction to a dejected heart. Therefore, Nouwen argues that the first step to true spirituality is acceptance of this continual state of loneliness rather than denying or avoiding it through various means. Only by so doing can the loneliness be transformed to become fruitful. Consequentially, a person can now move from being self-centered to true unselfishness where intimacy is attained. In this regard, solitude enlarges ones spiritual scope.
The second movement involves reaching out to fellow people which reflects a shift from being hostile to being hospitable. This movement is likened to the previous move from loneliness to solitude and it involves a movement from hostility to hospitality. In this second movement in the quest for spiritual life, the author suggests that people must change from being fearful and repulsive to strangers and instead should have a welcoming heart. In other words, transforming hostis to hospes according to the author, and the enemy into a guest (13). This goal is essential and must be achieved despite the daily atrocities of life which may cloud our inner beings making many callous and hardened to societal needs.
Nouwen presents his third movement of the spiritual life which entails reaching out to God through prayer. This is regarded as the most difficult of the three aspects of spiritual living. According to the author, everyone lives in an elusive reality where finite existence and limitations are real. However, it is imperative to move beyond this finite existence and tap into the infinite God who holds all of life by means of prayer. This third movement is thus the most crucial of the three.
Concrete responses
Nouwen’s literary work, especially his second movement on reaching out to our fellow humans triggered a sad moment in my life where I needed to exercise brotherly love but failed on various fronts. The period is just after I got my first job and I moved into the city. Now, unlike the upcountry side, the city is full of evil, (or so I perceived) a fact that took me aback. The resident evil was varied but the most outstanding to me, one that affected my love towards my neighbors, was the level people would stoop to extort money from others. This involved all manner of trickery including the faking illnesses among street beggars and street children. As a Christian, I knew of my responsibly to be Christ like and to help the needy and my neighbor whenever I could, a duty I religiously fulfilled. However, with time, my love waxed cold after being extorted severally by unsuspecting street family members who feigned illnesses to get ‘my money’. Consequentially, I found myself unable to help anybody else with time- monetarily or otherwise due to these recurrent incidences of extortion. The impact of this action was that even genuine persons who needed my help could not receive it and in effect I had neglected Christ’s call to love. Christ urges his followers to love their neighbors and love in this regard involves embracing those around us and in need of our help by meeting their needs. However, with the increase of evil in the contemporary world, it is often easy to stop walking in love just as I had. Despite being blessed of the Lord monetarily, I allowed the troubles of life and resident evil in the world to hinder my faith and devotion to God. I recall saying statements such as “where were these people when we were working hard to eke a living” and soliloquizing “another one out to steal my money”. Not only were these statement selfish, they were equally prideful failed to recognize that God gives us the strength to make a living.
Reflection
Without questioning the author’s insightful work in ‘Reaching out’, several questions surface. First, what bothers me about this book is just how is the church expected to champion the cause towards true spirituality? In as much as the author opines that the church is positioned in a unique way to embrace strangers, this portrayal of love is not clearly expounded as it relates to the contemporary society. Unlike the early church which shared everything and love was mutual and mutually pursued, the current church comprises of people who may not have a common agenda or views especially with regard to loving others. In deed instances whereby Christians in modern day churches fail to help even members within their numbers are recorded.
Secondly, and more importantly, even though the author skillfully documents the third movement of seeking God in prayer as the source of all life, the exact approach in doing so is left to the reader’s interpretation. So how does one seek God in prayer? Undoubtedly, the author documents the need for God in every human. This fact is further buttressed by both the first and second documented movements and it becomes obvious that solitude, and pain serve to draw us to God and reveal His importance to people. I however would love to see the author expounding further on how various prayers can be used to reach God and which forms are more effectual in developing this spiritual life discipline. The aspect of fasting could equally be addressed and the question of whether fasting and prayer affect ones relationship with God addressed.
Application
Based on the reading, I intend to first, make a critical appraisal of my innermost being and try to find out if all of the things I indulge in offer true satisfaction and meaning in my life. This step will help me identify my need for God and whether it is genuine. I will also try to email my brother who is also my best friend and try to find out whether he is satisfied with himself and his achievements. Hopefully, by courageously confronting my inner struggles, I will discover my inner beauty. I also plan to make drastic changes in my life by taking a more proactive role in reaching out to my fellow human beings by being more hospitable to them and attending to their needs. By taking a deep introspect in my life, I expect to have a complete character change and a change of my mindset so that my help to others may not be merely mechanical. Lastly, I want to improve my prayer life and communion with my God. Based on the reading, I have learned that true meaning and fulfillment only comes by communicating with the giver of your life. Therefore, I will take an active role in this regard.
Reference
Nouwen, H. J. M. (1975). Reaching out: The three movements of the spiritual life. New
York, NY: Image Books. ISBN: 9780385236829.
