Faith and Doubt

in a Culture of Disbelief

  • Home
  • About
  • Milestones
  • Contact

Can a deceased author become a mentor?

June 3, 2013 2 Comments

Share this post:

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Email

In 1983, Henri Nouwen left his tenured post at Yale to live in a community for disabled adults called Daybreak. A few of his colleagues joked that he himself had become disabled. Thankfully he did not bend to all the criticism. His many books, influenced by this experience, are some of the most poetic and spiritually rich writings of the 20th century.

I stumbled across this brief segment of a speech given just a couple years before his death. He recounts how a man named Adam, with a profound mental disability, taught him more about the worth of the human spirit than anything his elite educational background could offer.  Adam became a catalyst of authentic community.

Nouwen’s books are brief and focused, insightful and devotional. If you’ve not read him yet, then you might start with The Return of the Prodigal. In it, he delves into the layers of the the parable of the prodigal son by walking though Rembrandt’s painting inspired by it. Seeds of Hope is a great daily reader with snippets from his various works.  In the Name of Jesus characterizes leadership through the full story of the man mentioned in the video. 

I like the saying, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” Nouwen has been one of the knots at the end of my rope, and though I never met him, I consider him one of my mentors.

Related

Filed Under: Great Reads

Subscribe to Faith and Doubt

Subscribe to Faith and Doubt today and receive a free copy of Milestones.

Comments

  1. Kathy Taylor says

    June 3, 2013 at 9:43 PM

    I love the quote, ” When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!”. I intend to delve more in depth to this article. Tim, thank you for the opportunity to share honest feelings. My hope is I can someday feel more confident in being articulate, so as to sustain the critical need for communication coupled with understanding. Blessings!

  2. Tim Filston says

    June 10, 2013 at 4:05 AM

    Thanks Kathy. Me too!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Who is Behind Faith and Doubt?

Tim FilstonTriplets+1 Dad. Smokies trout stalker. Spandex warrior. Comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.
More about Tim.

FacebookLinkedInTwitter

Get updates from Faith and Doubt by email!


Subscribe to Faith and Doubt today and receive a free copy of Milestones.

Main Topics

  • Personal Growth
  • Relationships
  • Leadership
  • News & Culture
  • Tough Questions
  • Great Reads

Latest Tweets

  • How to Die a Little to Live More www.faithanddoubt.com/personal…

    February 23, 2023 12:39 PM

  • Time doesn't automatically heal all wounds. It only dulls them until we start doing this.... www.faithanddoubt.com/personal…

    November 18, 2022 11:27 AM

  • Turning your past into compost www.faithanddoubt.com/personal…

    November 17, 2022 5:15 PM

Facebook

Facebook

RSS Featured Links

  • Social Media Is Causing Our Children to Suffer
  • Announcing TGC’s 2023 Essay Contest for Young Adults
  • Sexual Ethics Is More than Not Being Evil
  • How Church Abuse Contributes to Dechurched Casualties
  • A Gen Zer Honors Harry Reeder

Latest Tweets

  • How to Die a Little to Live More www.faithanddoubt.com/personal…

    February 23, 2023 12:39 PM

  • Time doesn't automatically heal all wounds. It only dulls them until we start doing this.... www.faithanddoubt.com/personal…

    November 18, 2022 11:27 AM

RSS Leadership tips from Tony Morgan

Recent Posts

  • How to Die a Little to Live More
  • Turning your past into compost
  • How to make peace, not just keep it

all content © 2023 by Tim Filston | Design by Robin Cornett