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Adam: God's Beloved
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 1997
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851 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
May 8, 2025
When Henri Nouwen met Adam, he met himself.
He, himself!
His OWN faults. His OWN weaknesses. His OWN craziness. Admitting these, he found his submerged and forgotten Eden.
His own complete and wounded humanity.
In many ways, it was his Final threshold. For he crossed that last threshold to his Own Release from this sorry world soon after being with Adam.
In his End was his Beginning. And what is Eternity but ever-changing, multifarious New Beginnings?
All our beginnings are an eternal taking leave of All our sad endings... And this fresh start in Nouwen’s help and work with Adam was what we so naively call his end.
Naively, because for Henri Nouwen - finally seeing it was NOT a case of what HE could do for this hopeless case called Adam, but what ADAM could do for his own Ailing self - life was no longer a Ruin, but a process of Eternal Change in the Newness of Heaven.
And Peace had found him at last.
We would rather be ruined than changed:
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb on the Cross of the Moment
And let our Illusions die.
Yes, at that final moment of Meeting Ourselves, we only Think we are Ruined...
But we are CHANGED. And at rest, finally.
For WE were previously our own Medusa, towards whom - like Perseus - we continually held up the Shining Shield of Our Indomitably Stubborn Will - and MISSED being Transformed!
We were RUNNING from ourselves.
But that moment when we kill our own leering, grinning Minotaur in the depths of our Labyrinth - our Ego - we find True Life.
We are defenceless humanity itself.
Nothing to be ashamed of.
Our true life is ONLY the Present Moment. The present moment of life here and now, or the Eternal Present Moment of Paradise - it makes little difference!
And so Nouwen finally found Meaning - Pure Being - in this broken, incomprehensible kid named Adam.
And so, reaching the end of his life, Nouwen discovered Total Peace and Newness of Life..
And the summit of his self-recovery -
In his Real, Original Self:
For he had finally learned to Befriend his own Brokenness.
And in doing so, had finally yielded that brokenness over to the One who had Borne Brokenness’ Unbearably Totalized Full Brunt.
He, himself!
His OWN faults. His OWN weaknesses. His OWN craziness. Admitting these, he found his submerged and forgotten Eden.
His own complete and wounded humanity.
In many ways, it was his Final threshold. For he crossed that last threshold to his Own Release from this sorry world soon after being with Adam.
In his End was his Beginning. And what is Eternity but ever-changing, multifarious New Beginnings?
All our beginnings are an eternal taking leave of All our sad endings... And this fresh start in Nouwen’s help and work with Adam was what we so naively call his end.
Naively, because for Henri Nouwen - finally seeing it was NOT a case of what HE could do for this hopeless case called Adam, but what ADAM could do for his own Ailing self - life was no longer a Ruin, but a process of Eternal Change in the Newness of Heaven.
And Peace had found him at last.
We would rather be ruined than changed:
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb on the Cross of the Moment
And let our Illusions die.
Yes, at that final moment of Meeting Ourselves, we only Think we are Ruined...
But we are CHANGED. And at rest, finally.
For WE were previously our own Medusa, towards whom - like Perseus - we continually held up the Shining Shield of Our Indomitably Stubborn Will - and MISSED being Transformed!
We were RUNNING from ourselves.
But that moment when we kill our own leering, grinning Minotaur in the depths of our Labyrinth - our Ego - we find True Life.
We are defenceless humanity itself.
Nothing to be ashamed of.
Our true life is ONLY the Present Moment. The present moment of life here and now, or the Eternal Present Moment of Paradise - it makes little difference!
And so Nouwen finally found Meaning - Pure Being - in this broken, incomprehensible kid named Adam.
And so, reaching the end of his life, Nouwen discovered Total Peace and Newness of Life..
And the summit of his self-recovery -
In his Real, Original Self:
For he had finally learned to Befriend his own Brokenness.
And in doing so, had finally yielded that brokenness over to the One who had Borne Brokenness’ Unbearably Totalized Full Brunt.
April 24, 2018
Adam: God's Beloved was a beautiful read. I've been longing to read some Henri Nouwen after repeatedly encountering excerpts of his and I found this title at the college library.
This is the final book he wrote before passing away and it describes his experiences at L'Arche Daybreak Community. He served as their chaplain and was paired with Adam, one of the residents there; Henri was expected to wake up Adam and get him ready for the day. Adam was severely handicapped and couldn't speak, and Henri was intimidated with the responsibility in the beginning, but he credits Adam with transforming his faith. He sees Adam as a parallel to the biblical Adam.
Nouwen's insights were thoughtful and heartfelt:
"Could Adam pray? Did he know who God is and what the Name of Jesus means? Did he understand the mystery of God among us? For a long time I thought about these questions. For a long time I was curious about how much of what I knew, Adam could know, and how much of what I understood, Adam could understand. But now I see that these were for me questions from 'below,' questions that reflected more my anxiety and uncertainty than God's love. God's questions, the questions from 'above' were, 'Can you let Adam lead you into prayer? Can you believe that I am in deep communion with Adam and that his life is a prayer? Can you let Adam be a living prayer at your table? Can you see my face in the face of Adam?'" (page 55)
I found myself wanting to mark down passage after passage, no small feat for a short book. Adam transformed Nouwen's life and the lives of several people he encountered, even if only for a meal, that it's easy to see why Nouwen held him in such esteem.
At one point Nouwen mentions being disappointed in a peer who accused him of throwing his life away and doing such demeaning work that he wasn't trained for when he should be preaching and writing in ways that would have more impact. That would be an easy reaction to have, but Nouwen allowed himself to get past any self-importance and see Adam for who he was and what he could reveal about our true vocations. In their exchanges, even as Adam wasn't verbal, Nouwen humbled himself and opened himself up to learn from Adam, to the point that when Adam died, Nouwen has this to say:
"I couldn't stop gazing at his face. I thought, 'Here is the man who more than anyone connected me with my inner self, my community, and my God. Here is the man I was asked to care for, but who took me into his life and into his heart in such an incredibly deep way. Yes, I had cared for him during my first year at Daybreak and had come to love him so much, but he has been such an invaluable gift to me. Here is my counselor, my teacher, and my guide, who could never say a word to me but taught me more than any book, professor, or spiritual director.'" (page 101)
This is the final book he wrote before passing away and it describes his experiences at L'Arche Daybreak Community. He served as their chaplain and was paired with Adam, one of the residents there; Henri was expected to wake up Adam and get him ready for the day. Adam was severely handicapped and couldn't speak, and Henri was intimidated with the responsibility in the beginning, but he credits Adam with transforming his faith. He sees Adam as a parallel to the biblical Adam.
Nouwen's insights were thoughtful and heartfelt:
"Could Adam pray? Did he know who God is and what the Name of Jesus means? Did he understand the mystery of God among us? For a long time I thought about these questions. For a long time I was curious about how much of what I knew, Adam could know, and how much of what I understood, Adam could understand. But now I see that these were for me questions from 'below,' questions that reflected more my anxiety and uncertainty than God's love. God's questions, the questions from 'above' were, 'Can you let Adam lead you into prayer? Can you believe that I am in deep communion with Adam and that his life is a prayer? Can you let Adam be a living prayer at your table? Can you see my face in the face of Adam?'" (page 55)
I found myself wanting to mark down passage after passage, no small feat for a short book. Adam transformed Nouwen's life and the lives of several people he encountered, even if only for a meal, that it's easy to see why Nouwen held him in such esteem.
At one point Nouwen mentions being disappointed in a peer who accused him of throwing his life away and doing such demeaning work that he wasn't trained for when he should be preaching and writing in ways that would have more impact. That would be an easy reaction to have, but Nouwen allowed himself to get past any self-importance and see Adam for who he was and what he could reveal about our true vocations. In their exchanges, even as Adam wasn't verbal, Nouwen humbled himself and opened himself up to learn from Adam, to the point that when Adam died, Nouwen has this to say:
"I couldn't stop gazing at his face. I thought, 'Here is the man who more than anyone connected me with my inner self, my community, and my God. Here is the man I was asked to care for, but who took me into his life and into his heart in such an incredibly deep way. Yes, I had cared for him during my first year at Daybreak and had come to love him so much, but he has been such an invaluable gift to me. Here is my counselor, my teacher, and my guide, who could never say a word to me but taught me more than any book, professor, or spiritual director.'" (page 101)
November 5, 2022
I read this in 3 hours on a train and will be thinking about it for months and years to come
September 11, 2016
A lovely spiritual book that highlights an often forgotten image of the divine, the God of passion more than a God of action. Nouwen proclaims the gospel of vulnerability, and how the divine life may properly fit into the life of every person--even from people whose physical condition makes us almost impossible to think of holiness, like the severely handicapped Adam who had become for Nouwen a friend, mentor, an image of God during his stay at L'Arche Daybreak Community in Toronto, Canada. Nouwen, through the many encounters of people with Adam, invites us to rethink the very notion of holiness to which all baptized are called: a life wherein there is more of God, and less of the ego.
October 9, 2017
Some people that review this say that they wanted more. But that is the opposite of what the book is. It is about the life of a young disabled man that, because of his disability, somehow brings others closer to God. It is his very limited ability that serves that purpose - the emptiness of opening yourself to God.
As the father of a disabled son I identify with much of what is in the book. My son is not as disabled as Adam but many people have the same reaction. Maybe that is why I found the simpleness of the narrative so inviting.
As the father of a disabled son I identify with much of what is in the book. My son is not as disabled as Adam but many people have the same reaction. Maybe that is why I found the simpleness of the narrative so inviting.
December 23, 2023
Nouwen’s greatest work. Simple, profound, and inspired, I was changed by reading this book.
January 5, 2025
This was stunning—a beautiful picture of how mutually good and fruitful it is to be in close relationship with people living with disabilities.
might just start handing out copies.
might just start handing out copies.
September 10, 2023
Dit boek gaat over de bijzondere vriendschap tussen Henri Nouwen en Adam. Adam is zwaar gehandicapt en wordt verzorgd door Henri. De rollen zijj echter niet zo zwart-wit als het lijkt. Henri komt achter zijn eigen handicaps en Adam is er om hem dingen te leren, te leiden en te inspireren. De vrede die van Adam uit ging is zo bijzonder, dat Henri iets in Hem ervoer van Jezus Zelf.
March 28, 2025
A beautiful, beautiful book. Very short and simply told, this biography by Nouwen interweaves the life of his friend Adam, who was severely handicapped and died in his mid-thirties, with the life of Jesus. The chapters reflect these parallels:
Adam's Hidden Life
Adam's Desert
Adam's Public Life
Adam's Way
Adam's Passion
Adam's Death
Adam's Wake and Burial
Adam's Resurrection
Adam's Spirit
The chapter on Adam's Passion—when he became seriously ill and lost what little ability and agency he'd had—moved me the most. Nouwen defines passion as suffering that we undergo and that is done to us, the opposite of action or the things we choose to do. "Adam's whole life was passion, a life of suffering, in which he underwent everything that was done for him, to him, with him, and around him," he writes. Jesus, too, had a season of passion, and I'd never thought to compare these two parts of his life the way Nouwen does: "But at Gethsemane—the Garden of Olives—all this action came to a sudden end. There Jesus was handed over by one of his own disciples to undergo suffering. From that moment on he could no longer do anything; everything was done to him. … He was only acted upon. It was pure passion."
In their passions, both Adam and Jesus unveil for us the truth about our lives and the hope of how to live them in the face of such finitude:
"The truth is that a very large, if not the largest, part of our lives is passion. Although we all want to act on our own, to be independent and self-sufficient, we are for long periods of time dependent on other people's decisions. Not only when we are young and inexperienced or when we are old and needy but also when we are strong and self-reliant. Substantial parts of our success, wealth, health, and relationships are influenced by events and circumstances over which we have little or no control. ... That, to me, is the final significance of Adam's passion: a radical call to accept the truth of our lives and to choose to give our love when we are strong and to receive the love of others when we are weak, always with tranquility and generosity."
I will be thinking about those words for a long time.
This book pulls together strong personal and academic interests of mine, and it does so in the format that is the most moving and convicting for me: through the flesh-and-blood story of a man with deep physical limitations.
I resonate with Nouwen: "My many words, spoken or written, always tempted me to go up into lofty ideas and perspectives without keeping in touch with the dailiness and beauty of ordinary life." And so, like Nouwen, I need a teacher like Adam: "Adam didn't allow this. It was as if he said to me, 'Not only do you have a body like I do, Henri, but you are your body. Don't let your words become separated from your flesh. Your words must become and remain your flesh.'”
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know what it could be to live as, in the words of the subtitle, "God's beloved."
Adam's Hidden Life
Adam's Desert
Adam's Public Life
Adam's Way
Adam's Passion
Adam's Death
Adam's Wake and Burial
Adam's Resurrection
Adam's Spirit
The chapter on Adam's Passion—when he became seriously ill and lost what little ability and agency he'd had—moved me the most. Nouwen defines passion as suffering that we undergo and that is done to us, the opposite of action or the things we choose to do. "Adam's whole life was passion, a life of suffering, in which he underwent everything that was done for him, to him, with him, and around him," he writes. Jesus, too, had a season of passion, and I'd never thought to compare these two parts of his life the way Nouwen does: "But at Gethsemane—the Garden of Olives—all this action came to a sudden end. There Jesus was handed over by one of his own disciples to undergo suffering. From that moment on he could no longer do anything; everything was done to him. … He was only acted upon. It was pure passion."
In their passions, both Adam and Jesus unveil for us the truth about our lives and the hope of how to live them in the face of such finitude:
"The truth is that a very large, if not the largest, part of our lives is passion. Although we all want to act on our own, to be independent and self-sufficient, we are for long periods of time dependent on other people's decisions. Not only when we are young and inexperienced or when we are old and needy but also when we are strong and self-reliant. Substantial parts of our success, wealth, health, and relationships are influenced by events and circumstances over which we have little or no control. ... That, to me, is the final significance of Adam's passion: a radical call to accept the truth of our lives and to choose to give our love when we are strong and to receive the love of others when we are weak, always with tranquility and generosity."
I will be thinking about those words for a long time.
This book pulls together strong personal and academic interests of mine, and it does so in the format that is the most moving and convicting for me: through the flesh-and-blood story of a man with deep physical limitations.
I resonate with Nouwen: "My many words, spoken or written, always tempted me to go up into lofty ideas and perspectives without keeping in touch with the dailiness and beauty of ordinary life." And so, like Nouwen, I need a teacher like Adam: "Adam didn't allow this. It was as if he said to me, 'Not only do you have a body like I do, Henri, but you are your body. Don't let your words become separated from your flesh. Your words must become and remain your flesh.'”
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know what it could be to live as, in the words of the subtitle, "God's beloved."
August 28, 2023
I had to let this book sit with me for a day or so before I really felt like I could reflect on it well. It is truly such a beautiful work. As someone who works and lives closely with disability, there were so many of Nouwen’s words that filled my eyes with tears. He paints disability in all of its pain, suffering, beauty, and joy, with such reverence. As you come to know Adam you come to know the deep, genuine friendship that Nouwen shared with him. It’s the type of intimate friendship that is so hard to find. He sometimes would describe it as a bonding of the souls and other times he was at a loss of words on how to describe it, in both cases I deeply understood what he was trying to say about the special bond he shared and wrote about so beautifully. He compares Adam’s life to Jesus’ life in ways that drew me closer to God, being able to connect with Adam and Henri’s lives so well. Adam’s passion was by far the most moving piece of the story. The way Nouwen describes the pain and suffering that Adam had to endure his whole life and the parallels to Jesus’ time on the cross shed a whole new light on disability in the eyes of God. What a blessing it is to have a God who uses what we perceive as broken, to glorify Him. One of my favorite scenes in the book was when a woman came to Adam’s feet and wanted to pray for his healing and someone stopped her saying that he does not need healing, he is perfect the way that he is. What a perfect scene! Just so full of truth. So empowering to read. I also loved when Henri started talking about how he began seeing himself as handicapped. He may not have had a handicapped body but in so many other ways he was handicapped, needing personal and spiritual aid from all those around him. I will need to sit with this longer but those are my thoughts for now. Yet another wonderful recommendation from my dear Kate!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
"It was as if Adam gave me the freedom to let these questions emerge within me. It was as if he said, 'Don't be afraid, Henri. Let my death help you to befriend yours. When you are no longer afraid of your own death, then you can live fully, freely, and joyfully.'"
This book put words to some of the most profound lessons my sister ever taught me. In his discussion of dependency, peaceful presence, and grief, I felt Allie in these pages: God's beloved.
This book put words to some of the most profound lessons my sister ever taught me. In his discussion of dependency, peaceful presence, and grief, I felt Allie in these pages: God's beloved.
September 7, 2024
So simple and beautiful. I definitely recommend reading in one sitting.
October 17, 2024
Interesting, engaging.
September 13, 2017
This should be required reading for anybody that is a parent, caregiver, or serves in some ministry capacity. Nouwen is a beautiful writer with simple prose that is easily understood. If I didn't have a busy family, I would have finished this in one sitting! He gives tremendous meaning and value to what it means to care for another person and how we can learn and be changed through the process.
December 12, 2020
This is my third time reading this book and every time I read it I learn something new. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Adam changed Henri Nouwen’s life and by sitting with Adam in reading this book he has challenged my life in every reading. I teach a college course on disability, society, and the church and this is an annual reading requirement.
December 16, 2021
This book was beautiful. Henri Nouwen is a professor and priest who wrote over 40 books. When he told his friends he was going to live at L’arche, a community where people with cognitive disabilities live alongside their caregivers in a mutually reciprocal community, people thought he was wasting his gifts on people that wouldn’t be able to understand. This book tells the story of Adam, a nonverbal man with epilepsy, and the incredible friendship they formed. Henri would say that there is no other person who taught him more about God and life than Adam, all without words. This book helped tease out many of the things I’ve experienced in caring for Avonlea. The world pities people like her when in fact she has so many virtues the rest of us work so hard for. She is patient and gentle and is fully present with the person sitting in front of her. Without an agenda, she is changing and guiding me.
July 18, 2023
It was a nice, sweet story honoring the life of a very special man. I appreciated how the author presented his friend, Adam, not just as “I was privileged to be like Jesus and serve this man with special needs” but how the author described all the ways in which Adam was like Jesus, and how Adam taught the author so much about Jesus and the author’s own limitations.
The book read like a very simple retelling of Adam’s life, and the impact he had on those around him.
The book read like a very simple retelling of Adam’s life, and the impact he had on those around him.
December 31, 2019
Nouwen wrote so tenderly about Adam I found myself tearing up a bit throughout the book. Nouwen drew several parallels between Adam's life and the life of Jesus which I appreciated, but wished he went on to elaborate/ clarify a bit more in certain parts. Overall an honest tribute with a sometimes stream of consciousness feel.
February 5, 2023
There was no putting this book down after picking it up. What an incredibly beautiful picture of Christ’s life made tangible through the life of Adam. I have a feeling this will be a book I return to again and again.
July 22, 2020
This is one of those books that simply wrecked me in the best possible way.
February 25, 2021
This book is truly incredible.
August 9, 2023
I listened to this book for a week on my commute, and found myself sobbing every day on my way to work. So good.
November 23, 2024
My attempt at a review won’t do this book justice. Read if you want to see “the last will be first” exemplified through a modern person’s life.
January 30, 2015
When it comes to great minds like Tozer and Nouwen, I often get lost in their descriptions of God while they are discussing how His reality works in our lives. To me, they are similar to the Apostle Paul, in this way. They have something amazing to say, but my single minded brain can't track two paths at once. I can either focus on hearing what they have to say about how God works in the world or they're plentiful descriptions of the character of God.
This book had very little of that surprisingly, and the parts that did hover on the character of God, were felt on a more personal level to me because of the story that surrounded them.
This book had very little of that surprisingly, and the parts that did hover on the character of God, were felt on a more personal level to me because of the story that surrounded them.
June 3, 2016
A very thoughtful and kind book about learning the worth of each of us, just as we are, no matter what we can do or not do. God loves - that's all.
August 2, 2022
one of the best books i've ever read
May 30, 2025
"Adam, in some mysterious way, had become an image of the living Christ for me just as Jesus, when he lived on the earth, was friend, teacher, and guide for his disciples. In and through Adam I came to a truly new understanding of those relationships of Jesus, not just as they were lived long ago, but as Jesus desires to live them now, with me and with us, through the weakest and most vulnerable people." - Page 15
I’m reading Henri Nouwen’s Adam: God’s Beloved, his memoir of Adam Arnett, a nonverbal, profoundly disabled man Nouwen cared for at the L’Arche Daybreak Community.
Nouwen had initially planned to write a small book about the Apostle's Creed but chose instead to write about Adam, whom he describes as “an unusual teacher, because he couldn't think reflectively or articulate ideas or concepts; an unusual guide, because he couldn't give me any concrete direction or advice” (page 15). What he gave us instead is, I’m convinced, a more vivid picture of the living Christ than any creed could provide.
The other day, a dear friend kindly asked if I should be reading this book. I told him I had put it off long enough. With Connor's recent graduation and our new life with Trish as his caregiver and me as his trusty manservant, I was longing for the perspective Nouwen could give me—not just perspective but companionship. Nouwen walked where we are walking. It feels less lonely now.
"My many words, spoken or written, always tempted me to go up into lofty ideas and perspectives without keeping in touch with the dailiness and beauty of ordinary life. Adam didn't allow this." - Page 49
The same is true of Connor. He doesn’t care what I’m reading, how well-researched my sermon is, or what degrees hang on my wall. He demands touch, tickles, and Mountain Dew. If my communion with Christ doesn’t show up in how I treat Connor, I’ve missed the kingdom.
I do find it difficult reading the book now, though, knowing there were abuses at L'Arche (of which Nouwen was apparently ignorant). That knowledge casts a shadow, yet I believe Nouwen's writing still bears witness to every person's dignity and the possibility of Christ's presence—especially in places where the world refuses to look.
Long ago, I began making peace with the reality that, sooner or later, my heart will be broken because I love this boy.
What Nouwen offers isn’t a way around that heartbreak but a way through it. His words, shaped by tender grief and fierce love, have shown me a path.
Someone else has crossed this raging river.
He found the stones with his feet.
And now he’s showing me how to find them for myself.
"I still remember a woman visiting the New House, walking right up to Adam, and saying, “Poor man, poor man, why did this happen to you? Let me pray over you so that our dear Lord may heal you.” She motioned the assistants to make a circle around Adam to pray. But one of them gently tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Adam doesn't need any healing; he is fine. He is just happy that you came for dinner. Please join us at the table.” I do not know whether this visitor was ever ready to be touched by Adam, to see his wholeness and holiness in his brokenness, but she did come to realize that everyone in the house was very happy with Adam the way he was." - Page 68
March 23, 2025
U društvu koje često glorifikuje ego, ambiciju i brzo ostvarenje sopstvenih ciljeva, istinska milost i nesebična ljubav prema drugima, posebno onima koji nemaju ništa da ponude zauzvrat, gotovo su potpuno zanemarene. Ko su zaista sretni ljudi? Oni koji trče za sopstvenim ostvarenjima ili oni koji pokazuju milost i ljubav drugima? Ko je u pravu, savremeno društvo ili Isus Hristos koji je kazao "Blago milostivima jer će biti pomilovani"?
Henry Nouven je radio kao profesor na Harvard Univerzitetu. Na vrhuncu svoje slave Henry Nouven je uradio nešto zbog čega mu se čudio svijet. Ostavio je Harvard i otišao da živi u jednoj maloj zajednici lica zaostalih u razvoju. Umjesto da se druži sa intelektualcima na Harvardu, Henry je pomagao hendikepiranim osobama. Jedan od njegovih štićenika bio je mladi čovjek po imenu Adam, za koga mnogi smatraju da je potpuno beskoristan i da je trebalo da bude abortiran. Evo kako Nouven opisuje svog prijatelja:
«Adam je dvadesetpetogodišnjak koji ne može da govori, ne može da se obuče niti da se skine, ne može da hoda i ne može da jede bez nečije pomoći. On ne plače i ne smije se. Samo ponekad on pomjeri oči. Njegova leđa su iskrivljena. Pati od teške epilepsije i vrlo rijetko prođe nekoliko dana a da ne doživi novi napad. Ponekad ispušta stravične krike. U nekoliko navrata, vidio sam krupnu suzu kako curi niz njegov obraz.
Svakog jutra potrebno mi je oko sat i po da probudim Adama, da mu dam njegove lijekove, da ga odvedem u kupatilo, da ga operem, obrijem, operem zube, obučem, odvedem do kuhinje, dam doručak, stavim ga u kolica i odvedem ga do mjesta gdje provede većinu svog vremena radeći terapeutske vježbe.»
Mnogi koji posjećuju Nouvena i koji ga gledaju dok obavlja svoje dužnosti, se pitaju da li koristi svoje vrijeme na najkorisniji način. Ako ste imali priliku nekad da ga čujete ili da čitate njegove knjige, onda znate da je to čovjek koji ima puno toga da ponudi svijetu. Zar ne može neko drugi da preuzme ove mehaničke poslove i da brine o Adamu? Zar čovjek takvog kapaciteta treba da gubi svoje vrijeme sa osobama sa kojima ne može ni da priča. Ali na takve primjedbe Nouven odgovara: „Vi ne shvatate šta se ovdje dešava. To sam ja a ne Adam, ko ima najviše koristi od našeg prijateljstva. Sati provedeni sa Adamom me ispunjavaju unutrašnjim mirom tako snažno da mi se ostali poslovi čine dosadnim i površnim. Kad sjedim pored ovog bespomoćnog dječaka shvatam koliko je život u akademskom svijetu ispunjen rivalstvom i opsjednutošću za uspjehom. Adam me je naučio da ono što nas čini ljudima nije naš um već naše srce, ne naša sposobnost da mislimo vec sposobnost da volimo."
Ova knjiga govori upravo o tome.
Henry Nouven je radio kao profesor na Harvard Univerzitetu. Na vrhuncu svoje slave Henry Nouven je uradio nešto zbog čega mu se čudio svijet. Ostavio je Harvard i otišao da živi u jednoj maloj zajednici lica zaostalih u razvoju. Umjesto da se druži sa intelektualcima na Harvardu, Henry je pomagao hendikepiranim osobama. Jedan od njegovih štićenika bio je mladi čovjek po imenu Adam, za koga mnogi smatraju da je potpuno beskoristan i da je trebalo da bude abortiran. Evo kako Nouven opisuje svog prijatelja:
«Adam je dvadesetpetogodišnjak koji ne može da govori, ne može da se obuče niti da se skine, ne može da hoda i ne može da jede bez nečije pomoći. On ne plače i ne smije se. Samo ponekad on pomjeri oči. Njegova leđa su iskrivljena. Pati od teške epilepsije i vrlo rijetko prođe nekoliko dana a da ne doživi novi napad. Ponekad ispušta stravične krike. U nekoliko navrata, vidio sam krupnu suzu kako curi niz njegov obraz.
Svakog jutra potrebno mi je oko sat i po da probudim Adama, da mu dam njegove lijekove, da ga odvedem u kupatilo, da ga operem, obrijem, operem zube, obučem, odvedem do kuhinje, dam doručak, stavim ga u kolica i odvedem ga do mjesta gdje provede većinu svog vremena radeći terapeutske vježbe.»
Mnogi koji posjećuju Nouvena i koji ga gledaju dok obavlja svoje dužnosti, se pitaju da li koristi svoje vrijeme na najkorisniji način. Ako ste imali priliku nekad da ga čujete ili da čitate njegove knjige, onda znate da je to čovjek koji ima puno toga da ponudi svijetu. Zar ne može neko drugi da preuzme ove mehaničke poslove i da brine o Adamu? Zar čovjek takvog kapaciteta treba da gubi svoje vrijeme sa osobama sa kojima ne može ni da priča. Ali na takve primjedbe Nouven odgovara: „Vi ne shvatate šta se ovdje dešava. To sam ja a ne Adam, ko ima najviše koristi od našeg prijateljstva. Sati provedeni sa Adamom me ispunjavaju unutrašnjim mirom tako snažno da mi se ostali poslovi čine dosadnim i površnim. Kad sjedim pored ovog bespomoćnog dječaka shvatam koliko je život u akademskom svijetu ispunjen rivalstvom i opsjednutošću za uspjehom. Adam me je naučio da ono što nas čini ljudima nije naš um već naše srce, ne naša sposobnost da mislimo vec sposobnost da volimo."
Ova knjiga govori upravo o tome.
June 20, 2019
A simple but impactful read.
"[Adam] was a person, who by his very life announced the marvelous mystery of our God: I am precious, beloved, whole, and born of God. Adam bore silent witness to this mystery, which has nothing to do with whether or not he could speak, walk, or express himself, whether or not he made money, had a job, was fashionable, famous, married or single. It had to do with his being. He was and is a beloved child of God...Unfortunately, there is a very loud, consistent, and powerful message coming to us from our world that leads us to believe that we must prove our belovedness by how we look, by what we have, and by what we can accomplish" (p. 36-37).
"The great mystery of Jesus' life is that he fulfilled his mission not in action but in passion, not by what he did but by what was done to him, not by his own decision but by other people's decisions concerning him. It was when he was dying on the cross that he cried out, 'It is fulfilled.'...The truth is that a very large, if not the largest, part of our lives is passion...Substantial parts of our success, wealth, health, and relationships are influenced by events and circumstances over which we have little or no control...We need people, loving and caring people, to sustain us during the times of our passion and thus support us to accomplish our mission. That, to me, is the final significance of Adam's passion: a radical call to accept the truth of our lives and to choose to give our love when we are strong and to receive the love of others when we are weak, always with tranquility and generosity" (p. 84, 90-91).
"[Adam] was a person, who by his very life announced the marvelous mystery of our God: I am precious, beloved, whole, and born of God. Adam bore silent witness to this mystery, which has nothing to do with whether or not he could speak, walk, or express himself, whether or not he made money, had a job, was fashionable, famous, married or single. It had to do with his being. He was and is a beloved child of God...Unfortunately, there is a very loud, consistent, and powerful message coming to us from our world that leads us to believe that we must prove our belovedness by how we look, by what we have, and by what we can accomplish" (p. 36-37).
"The great mystery of Jesus' life is that he fulfilled his mission not in action but in passion, not by what he did but by what was done to him, not by his own decision but by other people's decisions concerning him. It was when he was dying on the cross that he cried out, 'It is fulfilled.'...The truth is that a very large, if not the largest, part of our lives is passion...Substantial parts of our success, wealth, health, and relationships are influenced by events and circumstances over which we have little or no control...We need people, loving and caring people, to sustain us during the times of our passion and thus support us to accomplish our mission. That, to me, is the final significance of Adam's passion: a radical call to accept the truth of our lives and to choose to give our love when we are strong and to receive the love of others when we are weak, always with tranquility and generosity" (p. 84, 90-91).
April 14, 2025
A beautiful reminder that every child of God is precious. Adam’s life represents purity and prioritizing character over worldly accomplishments. I’m amazed by the commitment shown by his parents in caring for him. Those with disabilities are truly a gift-they teach us that God’s love is all that matters.
My favorite part-
“[Adam] was a person, who by his very life announced the marvelous mystery of our God: I am precious, beloved, whole, and born of God. Adam bore silent witness to this mystery, which has nothing to do with whether or not he could speak, walk, or express himself, whether or not he made money, had a job, was fashionable, famous, married or single. It had to do with his be-ing. He was and is a beloved child of God. It is the same news that Jesus came to announce, and it is the news that all those who are poor keep proclaiming in and through their very weakness. Life is a gift. Each one of us is unique, known by name, and loved by the One who fashioned us. Unfortunately, there is a very loud, consistent, and powerful message coming to us from our world that leads us to believe that we must prove our belovedness by how we look, by what we have, and by what we can accomplish. We become preoccupied with "making it" in this life, and we are very slow to grasp the liberating truth of our origins and our finality. We need to hear the message announced and see the message embodied, over and over again.
Only then do we find the courage to claim it and to live from it.”
My favorite part-
“[Adam] was a person, who by his very life announced the marvelous mystery of our God: I am precious, beloved, whole, and born of God. Adam bore silent witness to this mystery, which has nothing to do with whether or not he could speak, walk, or express himself, whether or not he made money, had a job, was fashionable, famous, married or single. It had to do with his be-ing. He was and is a beloved child of God. It is the same news that Jesus came to announce, and it is the news that all those who are poor keep proclaiming in and through their very weakness. Life is a gift. Each one of us is unique, known by name, and loved by the One who fashioned us. Unfortunately, there is a very loud, consistent, and powerful message coming to us from our world that leads us to believe that we must prove our belovedness by how we look, by what we have, and by what we can accomplish. We become preoccupied with "making it" in this life, and we are very slow to grasp the liberating truth of our origins and our finality. We need to hear the message announced and see the message embodied, over and over again.
Only then do we find the courage to claim it and to live from it.”
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