More About this Book

This challenging book is an answer to the question: How do we live compassionately in our world? The subject is examined in three parts. The first part is about God and God’s compassion.  The second part, on discipleship, reflects on the question: How can we creatively respond to Jesus’ call to “be compassionate as your father is compassionate?”  The third part, The Compassionate Way, aims to answer the question: “Is there a specific compassionate way that can be practiced day in and day out?” This part looks at the practice of patience, the discipline of prayer and the response of action. Great attention is given to Jesus as an example of the compassionate life.

Themes: Compassion, Ministry, Pastoral Care, Prayer, Service, God-with-us, Jesus, Identity, Powerlessness, Downward Mobility, Servanthood, Christian Community, Voluntary Displacement, Vocation, Patience, Holy Spirit, Intimacy, Enemies, Activism, Confrontation, Gratitude, Christian Vision, Competition

Doubleday, 1982

Praise for "Compassion"

"Nouwen paints for us a depiction of God-with-us, the One who desires to embrace and love us through our pain and chaos."
Katy
"This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I will be turning back to it continually to guide me through the messiness, heartbreak, long-windedness, grief — beauty — of compassion."
Brad
"This book is truly amazing. It's beautiful and deep. Speaks of living in our world with a rich awareness of the needs around us, how to enter in deeply with others who are hurting."
Colleen

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