The Way of the Heart (Book Review)

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Once there was a culture so malicious, yet banal that Christians felt they were drowning. The culture embraced them, persecution ended, but the violence of propaganda and the pagan way of life constantly assailed them. Many were sinking deeper and deeper into this poison culture. The spirit of the age was seductive and constant with its promises of happiness and material success. The constant refrain could be summed up as: "Keep your spirituality, that is something you enjoy ... just join us in every other way." And so the church became wealthy and sick. One famous story describes Christians walking through a Roman church. One comments to the other, "Have you ever seen such riches?" The other sadly references the story in Acts; "Silver and gold we have in abundance, but the power to raise the sick is gone from us." So some of the saints decided to flee from this shipwreck in search of find land on which to stand. They ran to the desert.

Without effort, Nouwen convinces us that we face much of the same tribulation today that Christians faced in 4th century Rome. And so we have much to learn from the desert fathers. Specifically we must learn the value of fleeing (solitude), silence and prayer. Each of these can pull us away from the seductive spirit that speaks loud as ever ... so we can truly live in the Kingdom of God.

This is a book on the heart. The heart is the center of every person and the seat of the will. Yet, I find it hard to really know my own heart. These exercises that Nouwen gives to us land us face to face with what is in our heart. It is there we will find the Presence of God ready to work. Bonhoeffer once wrote that the kingdom of God is wider than the human heart, "it is as wide as the earth." He is certainly right, nevertheless, the kingdom must be in the heart before it can make its way out into the rest of the world. And that is the story of the desert fathers as Nouwen tells it. In the desert they found life boats so they might pull the whole world after them. You can't really reach out if your own feet are sinking ... you must find firm ground on which to stand.

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