Henri Nouwen on the radical message of the Gospel

This is the great movement from "you shall not" to "you may." We may care for the poor, the sick, and the dying, and meet God there. Instead of a distant God, whom we must please by not doing evil things, Jesus reveals to us a God who is as close to us as the poorest person is.

I keep marveling at the radicality as well as the simplicity of Jesus’ message. He breaks right through all the questions about what to do in order not to offend God and place the poor in front of us, saying, "This is me...love me." How radical and how simple!

Henri Nouwen, Our Secord Birth: Christian reflections on death and new life p.124

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