Jojimar Kenneth M.

Gonowon
Pre-Postulant

February 6, 2015

Jesus Today
Albert Nolan
Introduction
The author of the book is Albert Nolan. He is a Dominican priest from South Africa, played a
significant role in the church struggle against apartheid. His first book, Jesus before Christianity, has sold
almost 150,000 copies. This book is an edition published in Maryknoll, New York by Orbis Books
publication in 2006.
Thirty years ago Albert Nolan wrote Jesus Before Christianity, a classic about the political
context of Jesus' mission. In this book, he looks at Jesus' spirituality and its relevance to our times. He
outlines the signs of our times the hunger for spirituality, the crisis of individualism, globalization, and
developments in science after Einstein to accentuate why we need the radical freedom of Jesus.
Summary
Nolan writes with so much emotions about the mysticism of the man from Nazareth his
experience of union with God as Abba and how it was connected to his prophetic mission. From this,
we can see the mission of Christ is so much connected with the world. Tying Jesus ownself to the world.
This connection of spirituality and a passion for justice gives Christians a model to follow in daily life as
they go through the process. Nolan affirmed that Jesus did not reject the law of the Torah, but relativized
and fulfilled it with such statements as "The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for
the Sabbath." The laws were intended to guide and help the people not be suppressed by the laws.
Jesus was considered as a revolutionary especially in challenging his disciples to move beyond
the limitations of the blood family to the broader family of God's kingdom. Girded towards selfless love
towards humanity, Jesus perfectly displayed how to do things in a special way. Although he was radically
critical of the world, he never singled out individuals for blame, condemnation, or hatred, no matter what
they did. He was also a healer and revitalizer, an aspect of his ministry that the author considered which is
very essential.
In this book, Jesus perfectly introduced things on how to become human. He demonstrates
guidelines in order for us to become at peace. His practice of silence and solitude led to an inner peace
and tranquillity as Nolan says. He saw himself and his mission clearly - mission that was not only on the
cross itself but the process on the way to Calvary. Nolan wrote that Jesus was grateful to God for all the
blessings in his life. And he proclaimed that the child was a model of humility, trust, wonder, and
playfulness. Although Jesus never used the word detachment, he exemplified it in his ability to let go and
not cling to things, ideas, people, places, and tradition.
In the final part of the book, the author reveals the ways in which Jesus was practiced unity, an
important element of living a sanctified life on earth. It is based on love: a love that is true and genuine.
His life on the gospels displayed an incredible relationship - A relationship that does not choose
and a relationship that is not selective. In the ministry of Jesus, we saw how Jesus was endowed with the
life of love that came from the Father. It is an expression of His ultimate love for mankind through Jesus
Christ.
Firstly, Jesus' whole life was an expression of this unconditional love. We saw how he reached
out to all the individuals he met, whether they were rulers or beggars, saints or sinners. Every individual
person is lovable, no matter how hypocritical he or she might be. Genuine love is always unconditional." 1
This practice of unity led to empathy with others, an ethic of sharing and generosity, and a radical
freedom. For Jesus, freedom was not an end in itself but a means to complete service to God and others.
Once we commit ourselves to the path of unity it will lead to great and wonderful things:
"God's Work sometimes appears to be very slow. Perhaps that is because we do not always
appreciate the immensity of what we are involved in. Yet, precisely because it is God's Work, the future is
1 Nolan, Albert D., Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, p.51

secure. There is hope for the universe and for each of us as individuals. When I die, my ego, my false self,
will be destroyed once and for all, but my true self will continue forever in God, the Self of the universe."
This book is really a big help in understanding on how Jesus ministry intertwined with others and
presented a genuine love to all humanity. It gears us towards mysticism of his spirituality and shows how
it leads to unity with God and all the creatures.
Critique
The author displayed a marvellous transparency of exemplifying Jesus ministry and love for all
humanity. He clearly narrated and affirmed Jesus characteristics and values that would be a guide for
Christians to live a better Catholics. Although we are girded towards the historical Jesus, it is more
important to see how Jesus completes the law, relate with it and live with it. It is not also focused on what
we think about the Jesus but what he did in the world and for humanity that perfectly exemplify and
reflects the love coming from God.
Reflection
Jesus is stupefyingly free. How extraordinary who Jesus was! He gave His ownself yet He is like the lamb
who so quiet to endure all the pain for the sake of the whole world.

To be one with them, is to be one with Christ

Maraming naghihirap na tao ngayong panahon ngayon. Sumabay pa dito ang pagtaas
ng bilihin, pagtaas ng petrolyo lalong lalo na ang pagtaas ng bigas! These were the statements of the
people who are now experiencing difficulties in life especially financial aspects. Although people are
experiencing this kind of scarcity, they did not give their hopes. They never gave up in such kind of
issues. Yet money plays an important role in the society, we may never have the basic necessity if we do
not have financial support. We may never buy our personal utilities, if we do not have money in hand.
Through this view of reality now a days, people are obliged to put their money in a budgetary form. But
reality check, there are some in our community does not have the money to budget. They have this idea of
isang kahig, isang tuka. These are the people who do not have the space and avenue when it comes to
money. Much worse will be is when they do not have work to have an income. These people seek and
need attention especially when it comes to work. But somehow, let us first understand the context and the
situation of the person or community. We must be immersed to the reality of poverty or what they have
experience. If we do that, somehow, we are trying to put ourselves in their point of view. Although we
cannot exhaust their feeling or we cannot give a grasp of what they feel at least in a little way, we tried to
be one with them in total submission into poverty.
I experienced the way they have used to live. It was in my apostolate in Romblon when I
experienced it. My experience was great yet there were certain realities that I reflected upon. First, the
value of simplicity: In this value, I realized that we must live in simple life. Even though technology helps
us to make our life easy, we do not need them because, the way I looked the way they live, they have no
technologies, they do not have water in pipes yet they have balons, they have long jeep just like a bus in
size in the urban areas, where there is only one ride in a day. They have rough roads yet we do have good
and asphalted roads with the vibrating effect when I am riding in a jeep. In this perspective, life must be
lived in simplicity. I am not degrading the usage of such technologies; I am trying to point out that we can
live without these things. We can live happily and contented when we do not have these things in hand.
And lastly, the value of humility and closeness with the family: In my experience, I was very guilty of
having myself choosy when it comes to things, it must be Hugo for perfume and even the fact that I make
myself uplifted when I have this thing. I was surprised because I realized they are wealthier than me.
Why? Because there are things that we cannot all possess. They have a happy family. They have lands to
wander. They have trees to shelter. They have crops to eat. They do not have money yet they do have
resources. They are not poor, for my part yet they are rich in the aspect of family and environment. The
environment provides them to live in a simple life.
A sense of remorse was struck my inner spirit. Jesus live with people without anything on
His pocket, without a shelter but He extends His hand to other for the sake of mankind. In living, we must
live a simple life and harmony with our family makes our lives more meaningful and worth living with
the spirit of God within our hearts.