“May my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
Like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
And like showers upon the herb
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God!” Deut. 32:2-3
My first meeting with Henri Nouwen came by surprise in a book store, of all places. When he spoke, his voice had the tenor of humility and grace as well as sophisticated intelligence. I liked him right away. I learned not long after that he was also a man of tremendous honesty and insecurity. His accomplishments were many, varied and lauded by such institutions as Harvard, Yale and later on, by his colleague and friend Jean Vanier as well as at the L’Arche communities in France and Toronto.
The thing I loved about Henri was his childlike expression of wonder at the deep and personal relationship with God at God’s initiative. It was there he found healing, acceptance and strength for the inner turmoil he often experienced as is common with those who are destined to dwell with hungry minds.
Henri taught at two Ivy League universities as well as living and working with the poor in South America and finally serving as chaplain then assistant to severely mentally and physically handicapped people in the L’Arche community. In the 7th decade of his life, he admitted to finding a far greater sense of peace and fulfillment in the latter community. He wrote prolifically about his experiences in all realms of experience.
He died a few years ago and I really miss him, even if our connection was only literary. I feel so grateful that I can still find his familiar voice in the writings he left behind. I can count on his words to fall like gentle rain and showers as he faithfully ascribes greatness to our God! Such a joy!
