I wish I could articulate how deeply meaningful this book became to me. Nouwen speaks with such brutal honesty that you can’t help but see yourself, perhaps see all of us, in his story. If you wrestle with the love of God, battle shame, resentment, or selfishness, this book would deeply bless you. Incredibly written, one I know already I’ll come back to year after year.

In the pages of this book are art, wisdom, and the gentle prodding to let the reader grow. This is the best book find in the last year.

From what I picked up from the book, the author is Dutch born, becomes a Harvard professor, loves art, and then leaves his comfortable life to become a pastor at a home for handicapped adults.

The challenge of this book is to take the story of the prodigal son and see all the ways we fit into this parable. One third of the book applies the realities of the story to us and how we can and should relate to the prodigal. It is beautiful and transforming.

The second third of the book reflects on how we can and should relate ourselves to the older brother of the story. And how that needs to also matter when we engage this tale. It is hard hitting and full of glorious imagery and redemption.

And finally, the last third of the book engages how we need to also relate to the father in the story and let ourselves grow let that reality also shape our lives. This part is deep and challenging, but the challenge is made deeply beautiful because it is a challenge made out of love.

I cannot do this work justice. But I will be returning to the truths of this work in my mind for years to come, and I cannot wait to read it again!

This book has some crazily accurate descriptions of what a perverse need for human affirmation feels like, and how reception of God's love is the answer. The call to move from a son who receives love to a father who gives is also really striking. It was really interesting, and helpful, to see a treatment of the story that cast the younger son's severance from the father in terms of looking for affirmation wrongly and so-called 'cold' or 'spiritual' vices instead of lust.

“But the Father of the prodigal son is not concerned with himself. His long-suffering life has emptied him of his desires to keep in control of things. His children are his only concern, to them he wants to give Himself completely, and for them he wants to pour out all of Himself.”

This book felt like a balm to the soul multiple times

I mean…just literally so awesome. I actually wasn’t expecting for #wreckage to occur reading it this time around but oh…there it was. Prayer is changing! Thank you, Abba !!!!

Re-read 2022: I loved it even more this time. I believe this one is destined to be a constant returner for me. I have lent it to a few other people as well - it's a profoundly impactful book.
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Oh this book. I had no idea what a treasure I was in for.

I have read and heard lots of teaching on this passage, probably more than any other in scripture. Part of me thought "why read more?" I've read many Henri Nouwen books and although I liked them, I found them to be a bit too vague for my tastes. Sometimes I felt like he wasn't saying much. So should I read this book?

Well God knew that I would see this 50 cent book at my library and buy it... and I'm so glad I did.

Nouwen focuses not simply on the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, but on Rembrandt's painting of it. This concrete focus grounds this book more than any of his others, answering my second objection.

As for the story itself - could Nouwen bring out fresh truths from this passage? YES. This is one of those books I have quoted to friends, that has pierced my heart, and I know I will need to read again. The last chapters focus on the father in the story... and how mature Christians are called to step into fatherhood.

This is the best of his books I've read, and I have read many. Get it and read it and rejoice in the love of the Father.

Reading the epilogue of this book was almost painful- the challenge that Nouwen (through Christ’s words) is calling Christians to accept seems nearly impossible, yet it is who we are called to be.
In addition to the overall theme, the call to be like the Father, this book has offered other challenges:
A) To receive God’s love.
B) To realize that one’s gain is not another’s lack.
C) To accept the solitude that accompanies loving compassionately and “staying home” like the Father, waiting for His children.

I will be thinking about this one for a long time. The artistic comparison and discussion added interesting nuance to the spiritual one. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of the details hidden within the Father’s hands.

Finally, I was comforted by many of the personal comments Nouwen made. I think we had a lot in common, but perhaps that’s just the mark of an excellent author!

Thank you much to Mamie for this recommendation!

Another Nouwen! I just love everything I read by him!

His thoughts on Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son, starting with the younger son, then the elder son, and finally finishing with the Father.

He says that we each have aspects of the younger and elder sons in us, and that the ultimate goal is to embrace our daughter/sonship so that we can live as the Father. Obviously we won’t ever achieve this perfectly, but when we accept our place as God’s Beloved, we get to demonstrate the Father’s compassion as people decide to come home to Him!

Nouwen's writing has a deceptive simplicity. It's easy to take him for a fairly typical warm-cup-of-tea devotional purveyor (and I love warm cups of tea!), but his insights have deep penetration. This one's worth it if only for the stellar artistic analysis of Rembrandt's masterpiece. Although a huge admirer of Rembrandt, I previously hadn't quite understood the acclaim for that painting, but Nouwen made me want to pull a "him" and ponder it for hours. There are a few aspects of this book that will elicit the typical dour Calvinist "bad theology alert" reaction, but these can easily be overlooked for most. His habit of expressing truths entirely in the first person rubs me the wrong way for some reason, and the book really is too long and repetitive for what it needs to be. However, the message is of course beautiful and worthwhile. As an aspiring academic, Nouwen's life story really challenges me. He sees a parallel between the love of the father in the parable and his own decision to leave life amongst the "wise and learned" to dwell amidst the helpless and destitute. That's immensely convicting. I think the two vocations can be reconciled, but that's really been on my mind lately: is the academic way of life an affront to the model and vision of Christ? Of course, I don't believe this is the case. But it does take a lot of discipline and self-emptying to make it happen. Sorry, that was a tangent. Read the book; it's a good one. :)

100/10
It’s in the I Believe in Love tier

Everyone needs to read this. That is all

A million stars… wow this has easily been one of the most transformative and thought provoking books I have ever read. That’s all