The beginnings of “Intimacy,” a dance for a lifetime.
At first, “Intimacy” seems like a disjointed collection of experiences and relational contexts. Nouwen wrote this book, his first, while at Notre Dame. The common thread in all of the stories is, of course, intimacy; indeed, for him, the drive and passion to deeply connect with self, God, and others. Many of the themes that provide a backdrop for the late 60′s – existentialism, poverty, war and peace, anti-establishment sentiments, and psychology, were the same themes that greatly impacted my life in the early 70′s while in college. I identify so strongly with Nouwen and I hope through this journey to find out the depth and breadth of why. Much of the book is beginning dance moves of psychology and theology, a movement in theme that will weave in and through the life and writings of this man. This same theme is the one constant current in my own spiritual journey. What is incarnational consciousness and how does it manifest in humanity and relationship? I am already awed at this man…one of the things he will say later in his book “Wounded Healer” is that we must become articulators of the inner life. That is, able to put that inner dance of spirit and flesh into words and share it with others. It is often embarassing to dance in front of others, but it is the beginnings of intimacy.
