Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen Western Explorers of the Christian East by Jim Forest
At different periods of my life, Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen were spiritual fathers to me. Both were excellent confessors. They made it possible for me to share parts of myself that were painful, awkward or embarrassing. Each helped me survive hard times and cope with periods of despair. So I say at the beginning that what light I can shine on them is not the result simply of studying their writing, identifying main themes, trying to see where their thoughts converge or diverge, or analyzing them as if I were studying them through a telescope. They were both people who played — in fact still play — a role in my life. For all their differences, they had a great deal in common. Both were Europeans who made their home in North America. Both were Catholic priests. Both lived a life that was centered in the Liturgy. Both were deeply responsive to the suffering of others. Both were involved in opposition to war and social injustice, for which they were sometimes regarded as liberals or even radicals, yet both were passionately devoted to promoting the spiritual life and took a dim view of popular political ideologies, for which they were sometimes regarded as conservatives. Both were restless men. After writing an autobiography which seemed to say there was no better place on earth to be than the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in rural Kentucky, many of Merton‟s letters in later years almost catch fire with complaints about the shortcoming of life in his chosen monastery. On several occasions Merton sought to permission to leave with the idea of sharing in the life of a poorer, smaller, more primitive monastery either in Latin America or some other part of the world. One of the amazing achievements of his life was that he was steadfast in his monastic vocation but remained a monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani until his death. Still 1