I had quoted Henri Nouwen so often, that I decided it was time I actually read a book that that he had written. After skimming a few pages of this short book, I decided to give it a shot. I do not regret that decision.
Nouwen takes the reader through five simple movements to serve as a guide through difficult times. The five movements are:
From Our Little Selves to a Larger World – This helps us to see that everyone is hurting in some way and our pain is simply one part of the big picture. In other words, we are not alone when we hurt. He points out that most of our communities are organized to keep suffering at a distance. Even though this is the case, he says the Dancer invites us to rise up and take the first step. Jesus enters our sadness, takes us by the hand, pulls us gently up to stand and invites us to dance. “You have turned my mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11) because at the center of our grief we find the grace of God.
From Holding Tight to Letting Go – Nouwen states that we suffer from the great illusion that life is a property to be owned and people can be manipulated or managed. The solution is found in letting go of the great illusion and turning to the God who waits to catch us.
From Fatalism to Hope – We can achieve this by reading life backwards and seeing a purpose in our pain. We then allow this insight to give us hope as we face the future because we are reminded of the faithfulness of God in hard places.
From Manipulation to Love – If we relate to people as a conqueror, they will hide their real nature from us. We must be willing to enter their pain with them.
From a Fearful Death to Joyous Life – While Nouwen gives us a picture of eternity that is possible because of Christ, he falls short in my opinion in helping people see their need for Christ as their savior. For that reason, I would not recommend this book for someone who is not a Christ follower, hoping that would find their need for Christ in reading. That said, it is an excellent book for those who are Christ followers and want to see their mourning turned into dancing.