when nothing makes sense (quote)
God promised to care for his people. But when Joseph's brothers said a wild animal had killed Joseph, Jacob and Joseph were both put through a severe test. This appeared to go totally against God's promise. You would think that God would pay some attention to them and show some concern. But God didn't send an angel, or even . . .
"he came to save"
If we do not believe in the power of evil, we cannot fully understand Jesus. It cannot be denied that he came to save people. But unless we understand that the main reason for his coming was to join the fight between God and Satan – to destroy the works of Satan – we cannot fully understand the need for an atonement-death on . . .
Moltmann on the cross
The symbol of the cross in the church points to the God who was crucified not between two candles on an altar, but between two thieves in the place of the skull, where the outcasts belong, outside the gates of the city. It does not invite thought, but a change of mind. It is a symbol which therefore leads out of the church and out of . . .
Kierkegaard on winning the crowd
Christ was crucified because he would have nothing to do with the crowd (even though he addressed himself to all). He did not want to form a party, an interest group, or a mass movement, but wanted to be what he was, the truth, which is related to the single individual. Therefore everyone who will genuinely serve the truth is by that . . .
on imperfection
Purging the soul is a lifetime effort. There is no reason to be upset by our imperfections, for perfection is nothing more than fighting against them. How can we resist them unless we see them? How can we overcome them unless we face them?
— Francis de Sales
the gift of a beating heart
Nobody can will their heart to beat even once. Every heartbeat is a gift from God and it means he’s not done with you yet. The idea that we are going to put less value on another person’s heartbeat because they are disabled or because they carry an incurable disease is anathema to us. Remember, when Jesus rose from the dead he restored . . .
Wendell Berry on miracles
The miraculous is not extraordinary, but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread. Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air, and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances, will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine – . . .
