Jesus was victorious not because he never flinched, talked back, or questioned, but having flinched, talked back, and questioned, he remained faithful.
Real freedom is freedom from the opinions of others. Above all, freedom from your opinions about yourself.
The ragamuffin gospel says we can’t lose, because we have nothing to lose.
Without fear I can acknowledge that the authentic Christian tension is not between life and death, but between life and life.
When our inner child is not nurtured and nourished, our minds gradually close to new ideas, unprofitable commitments and the surprises of the Spirit.
On the last day, Jesus will look us over not for medals, diplomas, or honors, but for scars.
Do the truth quietly without display.
The unwounded life bears no resemblance to the Rabbi.
No man can adequately reach and explain a single word of God with all his words.
Anyone we come in contact with, we either offer them life, or we drain them.
I have been seized by the power of a great affection.
The ancient spiritual tradition is that God gives himself fully to us in silence and solitude.
God is a kooky God who can scarcely bear to be without us.
False gods – the gods of human understanding – despise sinners, but the Father of Jesus loves all, no matter what they do. But of course this is almost too incredible for us to accept.
Faith will become vision, hope will become possession, but the love of Jesus Christ that is stronger than death endures forever. In the end, it is the only thing you can hang onto.
A ragamuffin knows he’s only a beggar at the door of God’s mercy.
There is an extraordinary power in storytelling that stirs the imagination and makes an indelible impression on the mind.
What makes the Kingdom come is heartfelt compassion: a way of tenderness that knows no frontiers, no labels, no compartmentalizing, and no sectarian divisions.
I asked for wonder, and He gave it to me.
Troubadours have always been more important and influential than theologians and bishops.