Henri Nouwen, "Life of the Beloved"
Henri Nouwen wrote this book at the request of a younger friend who did not share his faith. His friend, Fred, asked him to write something that he and his secular friends could read that would help them tap into the goodness of the world, which Fred obviously saw Nouwen had. When Fred read the finished manuscript, he was disappointed, saying it was much like Nouwen's other books and spoke of Nouwen's faith...not something Fred could relate to, exactly. Nouwen was disappointed too...he'd thought he was onto something and was eager to share with Fred and his friends. The answer he came up with is the question above. Is there anything in our world we can call sacred? It mentions in the book that, at this time, Fred and his wife were waiting the birth of their first child. Well, there ya go. When Fred witnessed that living, breathing gift from God, did he find that sacred? Did he have an experience of God? Who wouldn't? Also, I wondered if Fred ever got into nature. Spending any time silently observing nature surely can teach us that there is sacredness all around us! There is sacredness in people around us who love and support us. There is sacredness even in those with whom we struggle because we realize, through them, God is teaching us. There is sacredness in our world. We may need to quiet the continual hum of our minds and open our eyes to it! Let's spend our weekend looking for the sacred all around us! Love, heidi
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