ADAM: GOD'S BELOVED may not be Henri Nouwen as a writer at his best, but in many ways it is Henri Nouwen as a priest and a person at his best. I know that this sounds like a contradiction, but a reading of the introduction of the book by Sue Mosteller explains some of the difficulties of this book. First, it was a bit of a rush job and the version we have today may not have been the final version had Nouwen not died prior to its publication. Even his last editor Robert Ellsberg in an article called "Editing Henri" (part of a collection of articles in a book titled REMEMBERING HENRI, a volume celebrating the life and work of Henri Nouwen) wasn't sure what Nouwen wanted to accomplish in this book until he read the final version and thought about what it said about Henri Nouwen as a person. Ellsberg's approach may be the best way to approach ADAM.
ADAM tells the story of Adam Arnett, a severely disabled young man Nouwen met while living at Daybreak, a L'Arche community comprised of people of differing abilities, founded by Jean Vanier. In sum, Nouwen cares for Adam's personal needs and believes he comes face to face with the suffering Christ and sees through Adam that every life is important and has a purpose. This is basically a summary of the book and there are many writers, most notably Vanier himself, who speak eloquently about the role of the disabled in society and how the disabled reflect the life of Christ. Like many readers, as some other Amazon reviews will attest, I expected more, or at least I expected more as I read the book. I admired Nouwen for venturing into a place where too many look away, but I hoped for more profound insights from this person who shared so much with so many. I do not believe there is another spiritual writer who has shed light on so many topics, who can be deep and profound yet also simple.
After reading the book, I thought about what I read, which would makes Henri Nouwen happy since he always wanted people to stop and reflect, then I realized what may make this book so important in understanding Henri Nouwen. Nouwen spent his life feeding others spiritually, finding all sorts of ways people could find God and meaning in life. When he arrived at Daybreak, he was both physically and emotionally exhausted, knowing that so many expected so much from him. Adam, whose well being depended on the care of so many, needed Nouwen too, but in a different way than those who wanted to hear him speak or read his next book. As Nouwen served Adam's needs he felt something he hadn't felt before, namely unconditional love and experienced the presence of Christ. Nouwen finally experienced what he provided for so many in his care for Adam. He needed to share this story. No doubt it would have been different if he had lived longer, or another volume with deeper insights would have been published at a later date, but for readers who loved Nouwen's writing and believe we know the man through his works, realizing he was able to experience what he so freely shared with others makes this work indispensable in understanding Nouwen and left me with a good feeling knowing he experienced the riches he so generously shared with others.
I'm the father of an eight-year old boy with Down Syndrome. I cherish and value the disabled. I wanted to love this book, which tells the story of the author's relationship with a severely disabled man. But, really, honestly, it isn't that good. It was unfinished at Nouwen's death and retains a half-baked, rushed quality. There is remarkably little description of Adam's everyday life: indeed, for every sentence about Adam, there must be three or four about Nouwen's interior life. At times, Nouwen sentimentalizes and "theologizes" the severely disabled, which is another way of obscuring their humanity. Nouwen meant well, the publishers meant well -- but "Adam" just ain't that great.
