"This is Henri Nouwen's "secret journal." It was written during the most difficult period of his life, when he suddenly lost his self-esteem, his energy to live and work, his sense of being loved, even his hope in God. Although he experienced excruciating anguish and despair, he was still able to keep a journal in which he wrote each day a spiritual imperative to himself, which emerged from his conversations with friends and supporters."--BOOK JACKET....

A collection of essays by the spiritual writer and teacher covers a wide range of topics, from the "theology of weakness" to the spirituality of waiting.

Follows the path of Nouwen's spiritual home-coming. More than three years prior to writing his great classic, The return of the prodigal son, Nouwen suffered a personal breakdown followed by a time of healing solitude when he encoutered Rembrandt's famous painting. He reflected on and identified with the parable's characters and experienced profound and inspiring life lessons.