The author alludes to being nuts, but so too, it seems, is the God who loves him and us, regardless of who we are. I’ve known about the gift of Grace as an intellectual concept—a God-given gift for which I need do nothing. That is, I can’t do anything to deserve it. Manning makes it clear that God’s plan isn’t based on who we are, what we’ve done or left undone, degrees earned, or monies made. God smiles and beckons, reaches out to us, and has only one condition—accept his gift of Grace—and for this Manning makes a compelling case that transcends all the sanitizing religious concepts attached to being deserving, or doing the right thing. God initiates, writes Manning, and it is only for us to accept the invitation.
In one way or another we all have traits of the vagabond and ragamuffin in us, the part of us we hide or run from. God seeks to embrace us regardless, if we let him. Manning’s case is simple: we do nothing but accept that God loves us and yearns to be in relationship with us. God says: “Brennan and Roger, I’m waiting for you!”
The author helps us strip away the need to be presentable, even sanitized to be in God’s presence. This book is written for those of us who can’t get out of our own way, are burdened by never being “good enough,” are smart ones who do dumb things, are pretentious, know we are but can’t stop ourselves, think we’re the least and wish we could believe God when God says we’ll be first into the kingdom, are rendered helpless and hopeless by our flawed selves and the burdens we carry, are cracked, broken and bent souls who cannot imagine anyone really wanting to know us. Thank God, Brennan Manning, I’m in good company with you and all the other ragamuffins!
by 
I can relate to what you say about Brennan Manning’s Ragamuffin Gospel, and perhaps not supporting your purpose here, I don’t really feel the need to read the book. I have often enjoyed being a ragamuffin, a vagabond, someone who did not quite look or act the right way to be acceptable, approved of by others. Somehow, I have learned to believe that God loves me, and all of us, just as we are, imperfect, flawed, simply human. Thank God for the grace of God. Amen
Colette,
Whether you read the book is incidental to having fun recognizing the ragamuffin you’ve had fun being, and as Manning states–God loves that and you!
Roger
I’ll say it again. You write great book reviews! You could do it for a living, not that you’d want to do that or even if it pays enough to earn a living. But no matter, it’s a cool thing you’re doing, sharing your thoughts about books you’ve read and enjoyed in your unique Rogeresque style. God’s grace is in the receiving. It’s free. This book’s premise of accepting God’s grace is profoundly simple. All we need to do is receive it, no strings attached. Can we trust it? Do we even want it? But then we need to believe in God in order to believe in His grace. It’s ours if we want it; such a simple concept that we need to be reminded of it. I know I do. Profoundly overlooked.
Jo Anne,
There are too many ways in which I’ve lived thinking and acting as if there are no strings attached, but this one, the most profound and essential one, has often been “left wrapped under the tree.” You and Brennan remind me to get off my butt and start opening! Your questions are spot-on–trust, want, and believe are at our core, reflecting yearnings that too often go unattended as we “overlook” what’s within easy reach. And this written by a tenured member of the Reluctant Disciple Club!
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Roger