From the Preface
"We have had to select portions of the gospel of John since it would be impossible, in a work such as this, limited in its extension, to embrace the enormous wealth of the entire book. Our criterion has been to focus on some passages that report encounters of Jesus with others: friendly encounters that invite faith; and hard encounters that reveal the cutting edge of the gospel proclamation. in the introductory study we intend to offer a larger view of the whole gospel, in order to provide a general background that may help the reader to put in context the sections selected for more detailed study.
No doubt the reading of the Gospel of John will force us to question ourselves. It comforts and supports us, but it also disturbs us and compels us to rethink again and again our life and action. No authentic reading of this gospel can fail to shake, to change and to engage us because it means encountering the word, meeting the God who creates and gives meaning to our life: the God of the promise. The God of love, who calls us and wakes us up from our false dreams, distorted views, and empty certainties but who strengthens us and gives us joy and hope in the midst of the harshness of every day's struggles. An encounter with this God who keeps on walking our world, communicating life, abundant life.
