I saw that one of the most important lessons Jesus delivered was that of authentic grace — a grace that doesn't take the place of agonizing spiritual work, that doesn't do away with a demand for holiness and purity; and that doesn't excuse us from taking on the tasks of social justice issues, caring for the poor, and taking up the fight to ensure equality and reasonable living conditions. . . .
The grace that Jesus taught first of all had much to do with offering it to others. . . . Jesus also taught that we should extend grace toward ourselves. While we're working to open our hearts to God's divine light, engaging in spiritual disciplines, learning what it means to always keep God in remembrance and struggling to drive out impurities from our hearts and replacing them with God's divine attributes, an awareness of God's grace is indispensable.
— Mary Blye Howe, Sitting with Sufis