The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

In itself, this book is a journey to spiritual freedom and Manning is our tour guide. Along this journey we are afforded a different, truer image of God; an image of love, acceptance and most importantly Grace. Manning states several times throughout the book- "This is book I wrote for myself and anyone who has grown weary along the way." This is a place we all have been before. I am fortunate that Manning has shared his deepest sorrow and intimate personal relationship with God with his readers. Because of this, readers are given the chance to have the weight lifted and to know they aren't alone. 

   What I most appreciated about this book was the authors appreciation for the human condition. Manning uses real life and Scripture to paint a portrait of God's love for the ragamuffin, God's love for us. Chapters that include: Tilted Halos, Cormorants and Kittiwakes, The Victorious Limp and A Touch of Folly offer us a full circle definition of love and grace. Each of the eleven chapters is comprised of well placed and relevant scripture references, real life stories that help us apply Manning's message to our own situations, and a touch of humor to lighten the load. After reading the introduction to the book I realized that this copy was actually a 25th anniversary reprint of the original. The accolades written in the Introduction, Testimony and Acknowledgements genuinely got me excited to begin reading. I chose to read this book at a time when I was going through a troubles and seemingly my faith was being tested. I couldn't have chose a better book for my affliction if I tried. This book has everything needed for a spiritually sick and suffering person. It is an incredibly easy read. The chapters seem to have this progressive flow in regards to the amount of spiritual bankruptcy to the amount of love and grace God FREELY gifts to us. That's right, one of the main points Manning continually drives home is that we cannot earn, buy, bargain for, or win God's love or grace. It is a FREE gift given to us by God just because He loves us. That's it. We need nothing more. There is nothing we could ever do to make God love us any less. These God-given gifts (love, acceptance and grace) offer us true freedom. Another thing I loved about this classic is the author's beautifully human portrayal of Jesus Christ. By illuminating Jesus' human qualities we can clearly see how indiscriminate the Father's love is. Manning uses Scripture liberally to show us examples of Jesus' compassion for the likes of us, the sinners, the ragamuffins. Parts of the book rang so true to life that I found myself tearing up on occasion. Isn't that what we want? I know I appreciate a book that appeals to my insecurity. It makes me feel as if I'm not alone. We aren't ever alone. One brief trip through the Bible shows us this. Even 2000 years ago we see examples of Jesus associating with sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes. Here is an interesting fact-this kind of activity was illegal in Jesus' time. Jesus risked more than just His public image to show ragamuffins the love of God. I didn't know this interesting fact until I read this book. It is full of interesting little tidbits like this.

   All in all I would whole heartedly give this book a 5/5. I feel it is an indispensable tool to those  who are feeling especially tapped in the spiritual department. It is for anyone that has ever doubted that God loves them. Mainly this book is for the sinner. You will not feel lonely, ashamed, or worthless after reading this book. That is my guarentee. Whatever your ailment, this book is your cure. Come along on the journey to spiritual freedom. It's the trip of a lifetime. You won't be sorry. 

   FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Blogging For Books program in return for my honest review.