Morningstar- Excerpt from Life of the Beloved; Henri J.M. Nouwen

[Topic of Choosing]


Henri Nouwen's book Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, has attempted to underline the purpose of the Christian life. Nouwen states "To identify the movements of the Spirit in our lives, I have found it helpful to use four words: "taken," "blessed," "broken," and "given"...they express the most spiritual as well as the most secular truth. They speak about the most divine as well as the most human behavior. They reach high as well as low, embrace God as well as all people" (Nouwen, 49-50, 1992). Nouwen is describing our purpose as believers is to be taken, blessed, broken, and given just as Christ was when he was on earth. We are taken, meaning we are chosen, as God's holy children to serve and to expand his kingdom in heaven. We are blessed with the promise of eternal life at the right side of the throne with Christ in heaven. We are broken, as Christ broke bread as his body, for the sake of others. And we are given, we are called as the Beloved to give ourselves to others.

Life of the Beloved has been a grounding book in my faith that encourages me back to the Gospel and my purpose here on earth.


Source: Nouwen, Henri J.M., 1992. Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in A Secular World. The Crossroad Publishing Company, NY. pp. 41-105

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