Brennan Manning, author of 11 books including a bestseller- The Ragamuffin Gospel, describes and defines the essence of the Christian life in Chapter 1 of Ruthless Trust:
“When the shadow of Jesus’ cross falls across our lives in the form of failure, rejection, abandonment, unemployment. . . ; when we are deaf to everything but the shriek of our own pain; when the world around us suddenly seems like a hostile, menacing place- at those times we may cry out in anguish, ‘How could a loving God permit this to happen?’ At such moments seeds of distrust are sown. It requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.”
The author relates the story of ethicist John Kavanaugh, who went to Calcutta to work with Mother Theresa for 3 months. When John asked Mother Theresa to pray that he would have clarity, she firmly replied that she would not pray for that desire. After John noted that Mother Theresa always seemed to have clarity, she laughed and responded; “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”-Psalm 13:5
