Spiritual Formation and the Lives of Others
Learning about the lives of others, especially those who remained faithful to Jesus until the end, can be of great value for our own spiritual lives. Biographies and autobiographies of great saints of the faith can encourage us to follow in their steps as they followed in the steps of Jesus, as can books where they draw from their own lives in significant ways.
In recent years, books like Frank Laubach’s Letters by a Modern Mystic, C.S. Lewis’s Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, as well as Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Burning in My Bones, Fortune, Becoming Dallas Willard, and Teresa’s Interior Castle have all been helpful and inspiring to me.
Dallas Willard in particular has had a deep influence on my life, even though I never met him personally. Many of my professors were students of his, and many other philosophers I engage in my personal and professional life were as well. He was not a perfect person, of course, but the consistent testimony of those who knew him well was that he exemplified the character of Christ in deep and consistent ways.
I’ve read a lot by and about Dallas Willard. Recently I discovered a video series, Remembering Dallas Willard, that has been very encouraging to me in my walk with Christ. Each video is about 5-12 minutes in length. I think you’ll find them worth your time, even if you’ve never read or heard of Dallas Willard. If you do take the time, let me know what you think!