“Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the beloved expresses the core truth of our existence… Though the experience of being the Beloved has never been completely absent from my life, I never claimed it as my core truth. That voice has always been there, but it seems that I was much more eager to listen to other, louder voices says: “Prove that you are worth something; do something relevant, spectacular or powerful, and then you will earn the love you so desire.” Meanwhile, the soft gentle voice that speaks in the silence and solitude of my heart remained unheard or, at least, unconvincing.”
–Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
