Today is the anniversary of the passing of Henri Nouwen. Like many others, Nouwen’s writings have touched me deeply and have played a significant role in my own formation.

I first stumbled upon Henri when I was in college. My roommate had gone to a summer prayer internship and had come back on fire for God, bringing with him a stack of books—and I enjoyed snagging books off of his shelf. In that stack was an odd-sounding book titled Clowning in Rome by a guy I’d never heard of. I decided I would give it a try, and it quickly became apparent to me that more than reading it, it was a book that was reading me. It resonated deeply and opened up new ways of thinking about prayer, solitude, and community. After that I was hooked and have enjoyed pretty much everything I've read by Nouwen.