Can You Drink the Cup? is becoming a yearly read for me. Though its message covers the calendar, this book was especially poignant for me around Easter this year because of Nouwen’s use of the suffering, sacrifice, and tenacious joy of Jesus and His people to convey his message.Using the cup as a metaphor, Nouwen reflects on three images--Holding, Lifting, and Drinking--to articulate basics of the spiritual life. Nouwen draws stories from his own life and ministry to illustrate his main themes.Can You Drink the Cup? has been translated into ten languages and sold more than 135,000 copies. Exploring the deep spiritual impact of the question Jesus asked his friends James and John, Nouwen reflects upon the metaphor of the cup, using the images of holding, lifting, and drinking to articulate the basics of the spiritual life.