Kathryn, at Good in Parts, calls this "a mission statement to follow to the ends of the earth." I can quite see what she's getting at:
Our witness to Christ cannot be other than this, to follow in his footsteps, to take, like him (see Luke 4.18) Isaiah 61 as our job description:
How does the Church witness to Christ in the world? First and foremost by giving visibility to Jesus' love for the poor and the weak. In a world so hungry for healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and most of all unconditional love, the Church must alleviate that hunger through its ministry. Wherever we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the lonely, listen to those who are rejected, and bring unity and peace to
those who are divided, we proclaim the living Christ, whether we speak about him or not.
It is important that whatever we do and wherever we go, we remain in the Name of Jesus, who sent us. Outside his Name our ministry will lose its divine energy.
Henri Nouwen, from Bread for the Journey
Our witness to Christ cannot be other than this, to follow in his footsteps, to take, like him (see Luke 4.18) Isaiah 61 as our job description:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit...
3 comments:
Beautiful blog Mike. Also I would like to thank you for your kind words regarding my music (Beyond Absence-Rarified). We have a new release on WebbedHand Records called "Complacency". We would love to hear your comments on our new work. The music is yours and everyone else that decides to take a moment and listen.
http://www.webbedhandrecords.com/wh113-beyond-absence-complacency/#more-133
Blessings,
Gustavo Caldas
Thank you, Gustavo!
I'd already downloaded "Complacency" - sounds good. I'll leave a comment in the next day or so, when I've had time to listen right through carefully.
Thank you for this lovely music, Gustavo: you and Mauro are producing some stunning work!
Peace & all good
Mike
When I think of Henri Nouwen, I am reminded of his time at l'Arche in Toronto. Some of the folks from l'Arche came down to spend a week at the Benedictine Abbey where I used to go on retreat, near Boston. The Abbey is a couple of miles from the ocean. Being with these people, day in day out, certainly gives witness to Christ in the world. I am sure they gave him back a great deal as well.
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