The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God Through Prayer,Wisdom, and Silence Book

Over the past month, I've been doing some fasting, seeking clarity of God's leading in upcoming decisions. When I fast, I like to focus on devotional reading. In previous times of fasting, I've worked through Richard Foster's excellent edited volumes, Spiritual Classics and Devotional Classics. This time, I looked at my bookshelf and found this small book by Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart.

Originally published in 1981, The Way of the Heart presents a few key insights from the Desert Fathers--Christian pilgrims in the 4th and 5th centuries who exiled themselves to the deserts of Egypt, seeking a deeper relationship with and understanding of God. Nouwen writes in with a caring, pastoral voice, especially for ministry leaders; but the content is really for any Christian.

The three topics Nouwen focuses on are solitude, silence, and prayer. (I read one of these sections each day that I fasted.) I was particularly challenged by the section on silence. I am a relatively silent person in everyday life, but I understand that this is not necessarily a choice: it's just how I am. Nouwen challenged me to move from "The Way of the Personality," which is not something I've intentionally chosen for myself, to "The Way of the Heart"--deliberate, purposeful, and a different kind of silence. Nouwen writes:[S]ilence is above all a quality of the heart that can stay with us even in our conversation with others. It is a portable [monk's] cell that we carry with us wherever we go. From it we speak to those in need and to it we return after our words have borne fruit. . . . Words are the instrument of the present world, but silence is the mystery of the future world." (59-60)I want to pursue that deeper, more mysterious and future-oriented silence in my life, that the words I say will bring with them the fragrance of the future world as a comfort to people struggling in this one.

The Way of the Heart is a short book and a quick read. I enjoyed the genuine, compassionate tone, and the lessons from the Desert Fathers are always welcome and needed.