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When I accept in the depth of my being that the ultimate accomplishment of my life is 'me' - the person I've become and who other persons are because of me - then living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness is not a technique, not a craft, not the Carnegian ploy of how to win friends and influence people, but a way of life, a distinctive and engaged presence to God, other ragamuffins, and myself."
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"Matthew 9:36 - 'When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. [This] speaks of the essential tenderness of Jesus, his way of looking at the world, and his deepest feelings about us sin-scarred ragamuffins."
re: Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) in "Apocalypse Now" "Real freedom is freedom from the opinions of others. Above all, freedom from your opinions about yourself.
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Brennan Manning (The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God's Fierce Mercy Transforms Our Lives)