Jesus the teacher within

Jesus the teacher within, by Laurence Freeman.

Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk who is well known for his work in Christian meditation.

Just some quick thoughts and quotes::

:: His anger was reserved for the rigidity of religious authority, the sin that denies that it is sin and even claims to be from God. It was not directed against ordinary sinners. His power was felt not in punishment but in the reintegration of the sinners both to himself and society. He called them to repentance and a new life: 'go and do not sin again' as he told the woman he saved from being stone do death. He convinced people that they were forgiven and he empowered them to take advantage of the invitation to live more full that is intrinsic to that discovery. Jesus' compassionate response to sin emphasises both the person's will to transcend the habit of sin and the action necessary to fulfil  that intention. People did not leave his presence fixated on their sinfulness. They left in liberty to live differently.


I love this paragraph. Its the reason that I put up my hand and say I want to be a Christian, why I follow Jesus. 
Interesting the line 'fixated on there sinfulness'. I think most of my past Christian life was like this, guilt going into Church, guilt during Church. I'm not sure other than social reasons I went to Church. I'm sure that I'm not the only one either. 

::"Faith is not the dream but the felt conviction that things will eventually work out for the best." Yep,  this has come with age for me.

::"Seeing Jesus as a guru who teaches by means of question and presence, rather that as a moralist and rule-giver, may be a challenge for many Western Christians"

:: Lawrence made the distinction between 'pantheistic' God is everything vs pantheism God is in everything. I had never made this distinction, and it is a very important one. I could radically change how people view the Holy Spirit.