Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God
The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.
Brennan Manning is such a picture of mercy and grace. He grasps the love of Messiah and is able to communicate it so clearly. He reminds me of Thérèse de Lisieux who, when speaking of her vocation, said, "In the heart of the Church, I will be love."
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