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Paco 507

Decent Essays

Reaching Out-The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life Tammy T. Smith Liberty University PACO 506 SUMMARY Henri J. M. Nouwen’s book, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, examines three aspects of spiritual movement in which he unveils how humanity relates to self, others, and God to achieve true spirituality. The first movement revealed is the movement from loneliness to solitude, second is the movement from hostility to hospitality, and finally, is the movement from illusion to prayer. Nouwen (1975) describes loneliness as a universal experience that affects even the most intimate relationships. He identifies loneliness as one of the universal sources of human suffering. Some of the mental suffering in the …show more content…

I find that after spending time in solitude, I am able to serve others better. The inner solidarity borne out of a heart of solitude lessens my frustrations and enables me to accept others where they are. Secondly, this book made me appreciate the broader definition of hospitality applied to relationships, specifically that of parent and children. For the past six months, I have struggled to maintain genuine hospitality with my youngest child who is 24 years old. Nouwen states “the difficult task of parenthood is to help children grow to the freedom that permits them to stand on their own feet, physically, mentally, and spiritually and to allow them to move away in their own direction” (Nouwen, 1975, p. 83). Although my son is an intelligent, independent, Ivy League graduate, it is very difficult for me to “watch” him live in willful contradiction to his Christian life. My challenge is to view my son as a guest and let him go in peace. Lastly, this book convicted me because I realized that my prayers have not been prayers of the heart, especially concerning my son. Although I have been relentlessly offering prayers of intercession for him to fully return to God and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life, my heart has not been empty of worry. REFLECTION In my opinion, Nouwen’s work is a spiritual classic. He has done an amazing job of applying the importance of relational connectivity between self, others, and God. He

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