“ The
men and women who are truly filled with light are those who have gazed deeply
into the darkness of their own imperfect existence.”
“And
the God I have come to know by sheer grace, the Jesus I met in the grounds of
my own self, has furiously loved me regardless of my state-grace or disgrace,
and why, because His love is never, never, never based on our performance,
never conditioned by our moods-of elation of depression. The furious love of
God knows no shadow of alteration or change. It is reliable and always tender.
“All
I have learned through trial and error is to stay alert and aware, especially
of God smiling of our silliness.”
“The
death of Jesus Christ on the cross is His greatest single act of unwavering
trust in His Abba’s love. He plunged into the darkness of death, not fully
knowing what awaited Him, confident that somehow, some way, His Abba would
vindicate Him.”
“The
wild, unrestricted love of God is not simply an inspiring idea. When it imposes
itself on the mind and heart with the start reality of ontological truth, it
determines why and at what time you get up in the morning, how you pass your
evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, and who you hang with; it
affects what breaks your heart, what amazes you, and what makes your heart
happy. The revolutionary thinking that God loves me just as I am and not as I
should be requires radical rethinking and profound emotional readjustment.”
“Healing
becomes the opportunity to pass off to another human being what I have received
from the Lord Jesus; namely his unconditional acceptance of me as I am, not as
I should be. He loves me whether in a state of grace or disgrace, whether I
live up to the lofty expectations of His gospel or I don’t. He comes to me
where I live and loves me as I am.
“The
past is over and done. We all stumble on the way to maturity. We all look for
love in the wrong places. But out of it, you’ve become real. You’ve got a heart
of immense compassion for the brokenness of others. You are utterly incapable
of hypocrisy, and I am deeply in love with you.”
“By
entering human history, God has demolished all previous conceptions of who God
is and what man is supposed to be. We are, suddenly, presented with a God who
suffers crucifixion. His passion and death is meant for us too; the invitation
He extends is Don’t weep for me! Join Me!”
