Analysis of Reaching Out by Henri J. M. Nouwen - Book Report/Review Example

Reaching Out- Book Review Abstract The book Reaching Out composed by Henri J. M. Nouwen enunciates the personal views and feelings about being a Christian. This book is an outcome of the author’s personal struggles within the spiritual being. In his attempt to pursue them Nouwen attained a stage where he found it significant enough to share with others. The book gives not an answer or solution but only an invitation to uncover signs of hope, valor and confidence amidst the painful spiritual pursuit. Reaching Out offers a comprehensive insight to the spiritual life through its three dimensional friction and interaction between the self, the others and God. The three movements described are the movement from lonesomeness to solitude, from enmity to hospitality and from illusion to prayer. These movements are meant for reaching out to the innermost self, to the other human beings and to God respectively. They are however not mutually exclusive or incontrovertible compartments. Rather they drift into each other like the different rhythms of music. This book reflects Nouwen's keen interest and talent to unravel the spiritual pits of Christian way of life and to map out an approach for the spiritual life. It sketches a tensed line between the three poles of God, the self and others. While addressing to the self, Nouwen starts with himself. The existential state is the root of the spiritual search. The agony of being alone is also the basis of human ability to enter solitude – “During our life we become more aware not only of our crying loneliness but also of our real desire for a solitude of the heart.” (Nouwen, 1986, p.1) Amongst the fellow human beings one travels between the poles of aloofness and hospitality – “the spiritual life is that constant movement between the poles of loneliness and solitude, hostility and hospitality, illusion and prayer” (Nouwen, 1986, p.2). By conquering fear and selfishness one can allow within the self certain graceful and innovative space for others. On the road towards God, man is confronted with his/ her true nature. Prayer possesses the power to translate man’s loneliness and fear to a hospitable attitude. The spiritual experience is actually the experience of being embraced by others and ultimately by God. The initial experience of agony is indissoluble compared to the experience of serenity and solace. This experience also compliments it because starvation makes man talk of the food and battle initiates the peace. Thus the new life appears from the experiences of the past life – “Only a few “happy endings” make us happy, but often someone’s careful and honest articulation of the ambiguities, uncertainties and painful conditions of life gives us new hope. The paradox is indeed that new life is born out of the pains of the old” (Nouwen, 1986, p.3) This is an important and obvious truth of life which the author helps us to discover in a new way. Concrete Response In this book Nouwen considers some of the deep seated troubles of human life such as loneliness, the longing for communion with the Almighty and fellow human beings and the efforts to meet the yearnings of their hearts. The existential state and the struggles to present the troubles to God so as to get them sorted are illustrated in this book. Nouwen offers the solutions through prayer and solitude. He sees the enormous chance of spiritual development in the profoundly biblical means of hospitality. Thus instead of introducing new ideas, Nouwen extends his favorite elements of solitude and prayer as the means of development in spiritual life. Nouwen’s book offers encouragement and optimism for those who assess their lives with the help of individual experiences, the encounters with others and the encounter with God. All through the book Nouwen has emphasized on prayers and the power of prayer to heal wounds and convert the fear of mortality into the courage to understand our life and its limits. The story thus reflects that prayer helps a person achieve the blessings of God. The great power of prayer and selflessness can be observed in our daily lives. It is a typical tendency of man to run away from the basic truths of life. Here, I talk about morality. The fact that one who is born has to die is inevitable and beyond one’s control. Reflection We live everyday with the truths of life but try to keep it away from the pits of our heart. Being a victim of the same mindset, this book reminds me of the day when I met with a serious road accident. I was scared to die and was suffering from a lot of pain. Despite the doctors and nurses treating me, I was suffering from an excruciating pain and fear. Unknowingly, I started praying to God, and may be due to the drugs or the honesty in my prayer, my pain and fear started to disappear. I realized that Prayer has the power to overcome fear and hurdles of human life and elevate us to a level of fearlessness and spiritual growth. The happiness achieved in serving others, in confessing our deeds to God and prayers during hard times are all ways to reach out to the self, others and God. However, going through the book there are several questions that strikes me as a reader. When the author talks of converting one’s loneliness into solitude (where loneliness sources from fear, lack of friends and loved ones), then why is it that man has to turn to solitude to reach out God and self? In other words, is solitude really significant to come closer to the self, others and God? The book gives us new directions to resolve our troubles and utilize our experience. The book Reaching Out has been a good source of motivation and encouragement in the pursuit of the spiritual life. From this work, we can comprehend the power of prayer, the description of solitude as something that is not physical but belongs to the heart that would help one know the self and provide free space to understand others. It is only through this solitude of the heart that one can overcome fear and welcome others. In this way one will move towards hospitality. Action The author guides us to shed off our negative instincts of aggression, fear and suspicion and the tendency of escaping from our problems. He encourages us to face our problems with a peaceful and free heart that can comprehend them without fear and foster solidarity among us. It gives an inner strength to accept the inevitable truths of our lives (Nouwen, 1986). He evaluated the spiritual passage to perfection as a passage through imperfection, working amidst the realities of struggle, failures, and incompleteness. Thus the book teaches us how to develop our relationship with ourselves, God and with others. It reflects the basics of spiritual life and how it can help us resolve our day-to-day problems. I would henceforth spend some hours on meditation. This will help me resolve my worries and establish a connection with my spiritual strength as well as with the heavenly grace. References 1. Nouwen, H, (1986), Reaching Out, New York: Image Books. Read More