Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen

Quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen

“Jesus, the Blessed Child of God, is merciful. Showing mercy is different from having pity. Pity connotes distance, even looking down upon. When a beggar asks for money and you give him something out of pity, you are not showing mercy. Mercy comes from a compassionate heart; it comes from a desire to be an equal. Jesus didn’t want to look down on us. He wanted to become one of us and feel deeply with us. When Jesus called the only son of the widow of Nain to life, he did so because he felt the deep sorrow of the grieving mother in his own heart (see Luke 7:11-17). Let us look at Jesus when we want to know how to show mercy to our brothers and sisters.”

Quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen

Book:Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith
Create image

Work

Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Henri J.M. Nouwen

Browse famous quotes and profile details for Henri J.M. Nouwen. more

You May Also Like

“There is an ocean of silence between us… and I am drowning in it.”

FeelingsBeautifulQuotesLostLossLove QuotesGriefSilenceSadnessSadOceanHeartbreakQuoteDistanceLove Quotes And SayingsGrievingBreakupBroken HeartGrief And LossLove QuoteLost LoveUnrequited LoveLove QuotationsHeartbrokenDeep ThoughtsSad QuotesWithout YouFeelings And EmotionsGrief QuotesMissing SomeoneBreakup QuotesUnrequitedHeartbreak QuotesSilence QuotesLoss Of LoveDistance RelationshipBreak UpsLoss QuotesFeelings Of LoveBeautiful QuoteI Miss YouLost Love QuotesSad QuoteMissing You QuotesHeartbroken QuotesThe One That Got AwayBreakup QuoteRanata SuzukiRanata Suzuki QuoteBreak Up QuoteLoss QuoteSilence QuoteOcean QuotesFrom A Distance
Author:Ranata Suzuki
Create image

“Three essential keys (FAITH, HOPE and LOVE) will open the Heavens door.”

LoveGodChristianSpiritualRomanceReligionFaithHopeMotivational QuotesMarriageRelationshipSelf HelpSelf LoveWise WordsPrayingWisdom QuotesForgivenessMercyPhilosophicalSelf RealizationWarriorPhilosophy Of LifeInspiring QuotesSpiritual LifeFighting SpiritReligious FaithHumanity QuotesDetermined SpiritInspiring ThoughtsGod S GraceUplifting QuotesInner Strength QuotesAnswers To PrayersWarfare PrayersPersistent EffortDont WorryGods SovereigntyUnlocking Closed Doors
Book:Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind
Create image

“I've also represented people who have committed terrible crimes but nonetheless struggle to recover and to find redemption. I have discovered, deep in the hearts of many condemned and incarcerated people, the scattered traces of hope and humanity - seeds of restoration that come to astonishing life when nurtured by very simple interventions. Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. My work with the poor and incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I've come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others. The closer we get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe it's never to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice, and - perhaps - we all need some measure of unmerited grace.”

GraceMercySocial Justice
Author:Bryan Stevenson
Create image