Henri Nouwen and homosexuality

Charlene recently posted a quote by Henri Nouwen. Someone left a comment there, apparently dismissing anything Nouwen has to say based on this bit of news:

Henri Nouwen was a homosexual though. It was discovered in his journals after he died.

I did not know this. A quick Google search led to more information:

Ford says it is impossible to "understand the complexity and anguish of the man" without considering his homosexual orientation, something he was aware of from the time he was a boy, but started to come to grips with only in his final years. At Menninger, he wrestled with his homosexual leanings, which he regarded as a disability, a cross to bear. While Nouwen was at Harvard, he was hard on gay students, telling them that homosexuality was an evil state of being... Nouwen was troubled by the possibility that people would reject him if they knew about his sexual orientation. "This took an enormous emotional, spiritual and physical toll on his life and may have contributed to his early death," Ford says. There is no indication in the book that Nouwen was anything but celibate.

That led to some thoughts coming together in my mind. This isn't a new thought, but there's no difference between being tempted with homosexual desires and any other temptation. The fact that Nouwen struggled with homosexual temptations doesn't diminish his legacy in any way. I'm always surprised when someone thinks that a temptation alone is enough to disqualify you. Even Jesus was tempted. I really wish that Nouwen could have felt safe revealing this in his lifetime. No doubt there are many who have the same temptations, but they don't feel safe admitting same-sex desires within the church. Someone with Nouwen's stature might have made it safer for others. It reminds me of an interview I read with Larry Crabb yesterday. Crabb wrote this in The Safest Place on Earth:

A spiritual community consists of people who have the integrity to come clean. It is comprised of those who own their own shortcomings and failures because they hate them more than they hate the shortcomings and failures of others, who therefore discover that a well of pure water flows beneath their most fetid corruption.

When asked if he had seen such a place, Crabb replied:

When Philip Yancey read the book, his comment to me was, "It seems to me you've written about a place you've never seen but hope you will someday." (Leadership Journal, Summer 2004)

I'm hoping we'll see lots of safe places one day, but we're not there yet.

Comments

[Jacob]

If he was an active practising homosexual, promoting it, and justifying it then I would likely tend to dismiss his views as well. However, if he had the feelings but realized that acting upon those feelings would be a great sin and thus resisted acting upon them. In my mind he should be commended and respected.

[Arthur]

Amen. But I wonder....if we were to reject any and all ideas put forward by homosexuals just because of their sexual orientation, where would we be? Not that I condone their lifestyles, mind you. I am just loathe to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[Rick]

Why do we continue to believe that there is an heirarchy of sin. Whether it is homosexuality, adultery, desiring what others have, stealing, it doesn't matter in God's eyes. Homosexuality has such a stigma attached to it. What about the pastor who deeply desires the talents and abilities God has given to Billy Graham? Isn't that coveting? Both are sins in god's eyes. If being tempted disqualified us from representing the Lord then I might as well give up right now. And, even if Nouwen acted out on his temptation, he was no worse than the next sinner, me. And, if he didn't act out on his temtptations it was only through the grace of God. How can we dismiss someone's contribution who is tempted with homosexuality when we are fellow sinners? What a testimony that Nouwen was able to deal with his temptations as well as he did.

[Liesa]

I have a lot of issues with why people think homosexuality is a sin. There are so many things people do that would be considered sinful, and perhaps the reason why there is no safe place yet, is because (in my experience) the Christian Church is more focused on sin, than love and forgiveness. Jesus focused on forgiveness, on love, on redemption. Do we?

[Jordon Cooper]

Yancey talks about Nouwen, his homosexuality, and the fact that he was a celibate priest in Soul Survivor.

[james]

I see we're still hung up on the "homosexuality" thing. Yawn...

[Jacob]

Arthur, I wasn't referring to every idea, but really refering to issues of Biblical interpretation and Christian insight. Liesa, you're right that there are a lot of things people do that are sinful. The truth is that the best of people still commit numerous sins per day. All sins are equal in that the tiniest white lie can put us in hell. Personally I believe that the Bible teaches that we ought not to be cavalier about our sinfulness - we need to be poor in spirit and grieve over our sin but at the same time rejoice in Christ's forgiveness of our sins (if we've genuinely repented and accepted Christ). As for the Homosexuality issue...your issue is not with Christians or Church teaching but with God Himself. He clearly teaches in His Word that Homosexual practice is sin. James, nice comment. (sigh)

[Trish]

Yeah I also think we have to distinguish between homosexual orientation and homosexual behaviour. If someone's born with the orientation and lives with it they haven't sinned unless they lust or have same gender sex. It's too bad the Christian church can't provide an accepting place for openly homosexually oriented people. I mean we finally have started to care for unwedded mothers.

[Arthur]

Jacob, I still argue that Nouwen's sexual orientation is of no consequence when considering the veracity of his Biblical interpretation or Christian Insight. Truth is Truth; Insight is Insight; Inspiration is Inspiration; regardless of one's lifestyle or behavior or even religion. There is Truth to be found among the teachings of Mormonism, if one takes the time to look AND can sift out the garbage.

[Mike]

So Henri was a homosexual. Who cares? Anyone who would dismiss his views because of this is missing out on a lot of gold.