A Road to DayBreak

Henri Nouwen’s book, The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey is a book I return to repeatedly.  I return to this book not because it is an easy read but because I find comfort in the reminders these pages offer. This spiritual journal helps me to remember that the Christian journey is not for the faint-hearted.  It challenges me to try new disciplines. 

In this book, Henri Nouwen describes how he moved from being a Harvard professor to being a priest for the L’Arche Daybreak Community.  The journal entries are in chronological order but do not stand-alone.  Nouwen emphasizes the stages of his journey by placing the entries in chapters giving each one a title.  The titles of each chapter provide the reader with insight of how the entries are connected. 

Published in 1988 by Doubleday; The Road to Daybreak speaks universally to the loneliness of the human condition.  Nouwen explores the intersection of community; deep individual friendships and personal relationship with Jesus.  The Road to Daybreak emphasizes how the maintenance of each of these is important as we navigate change. 

The book is not just the physical journey to Daybreak community but also the inner journey of beginning a new life. The Road to Daybreak offers readers the opportunity to encounter Jesus in their hearts, minds and souls.  Nouwen suggests that Jesus cares about the big things in life like vocation but also about the details of how our time is spent. He discovers in this year; the importance of saying no and of just being.  Our days do not have to be filled to the brim with activity.  Jesus honors our seeking.  

Yet seeking is not always easy; throughout the book, we observe Nouwen struggling in his prayer life.  Carving out the time and staying focused are his main issues.  Nouwen wrestled too with keeping his focus on Jesus.  He was often caught up in trying to follow others’ expectations and seeking their affirmations.  This is what makes the book so meaningful to me.  Each time I return to read it; The Road to Daybreak is like a breath of fresh air.  Nouwen’s honesty and struggles comfort me.  If someone who spent 30 years in the priesthood lived often in the place of mystery; then I too can live in the place of mystery. 

The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey provides a great start to thinking about the New Year and a fresh start.  Its 227 pages; share Nouwen’s observations and encounters.  The book takes its readers across two continents and many different countries.  Its rich descriptions of people and places connect Nouwen’s experiences with people of all ages; nationalities and stages of faith.  Available in both paperback and e-reader editions; The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey is a great place to start the new year and a great start to the writings of Henri Nouwen if he is new for you.