I just read this and thought it was beautiful, and wanted to share it:
“The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means being able to say to him, “What are you going through?” Simone Weil
Beautiful right?
Tag: Quote
A quote to chew on today:
Far too few who believe in the risen Christ actually believe in his revolutionary ideas. Brian Zahnd
That is a deep one.
We love the fact that Jesus saves us, we love the fact that Jesus loves us, but we are less comfortable with how he says we should live and love. We love that fact that Jesus loves us, when we were enemies, but we are reluctant to love our enemies. We believe in the risen Christ but don’t believe in his revolutionary ideas of love, sacrifice, and grace.
This quote makes me uncomfortable, and it should.
Because it’s so easy to like Jesus, and believe in him. The hard part is following him, is living like him, is being willing to practice what he practiced.
So while this quote makes me uncomfortable, it’s a good thing. Because sometimes when you get uncomfortable you get out of your comfort zone. And I think that’s what I need. I need to be challenged not just to believe in Jesus, but live like Jesus. To not just believe in a risen Christ, but to believe in his revolutionary ideas and follow them.
So while this quote makes me a little uncomfortable, it’s a good thing.
What do you think of it?
The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it has established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild. G.K. Chesterton
I love this quote by Chesterton, who was brilliant in many ways. Because so often we think of Christianity as a staid, rigid, and giant institution opposed to change, creativity, and wildness. But I think Chesterton is right, Jesus did not come to just bring rule and order but to let some good things run wild.
Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit being wind that is wild blowing where it will (John 3). Jesus seems intent on letting loose disciples to change the world through love and grace. Jesus seems intent on letting God’s love run wild throughout the world without constraints or restrictions.
So Chesterton is right, Christianity has established rule and order. There is nothing wrong with that, that is good as well. But its chief aim was give room for good things to run wild: God’s love, justice, hope, mercy, and grace.
I think that’s a beautiful thought and something the world needs more of. A little more of God’s love running wild, God’s hope, God’s mercy, and most of all, God’s grace.
Just thought this quote was awesome, so a short post, with a deep thought by Jon Stewart:
“Remember to love your neighbour as you love yourself. And if you hate yourself then please just leave your neighbour alone”
So much truth in that to unpack for another day… 🙂
Henri Nouwen, who is generally brilliant in all he writes, once wrote this:
One of the tragedies of our life is that we keep forgetting who we are.
And this true.
One of the great tragedies of our lives is that we forget who we are. We forget that we are loved. Because who we all are, according to the Bible, are people who are deeply loved, cherished, and valued by God. We have value, worth and intrinsic significance, not just because of what we do or believe, but because the Creator loves his creation; because the Father loves his children; because the King loves his people; because the Spirit loves his family.
The point is that it is a tragedy whenever we forget who we are, when we forget we are loved. Because when we forget this central truth, our lives can spiral and spin through difficulty, and insecurity. But when we are centred on this truth, that we are loved, our lives can burst forth meaning, courage, and significance.
So I just think that’s something worth reflecting on today. That you are loved. Don’t forget it.
For today’s post I want to begin with a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
“Celebrating advent means learning how to wait. Waiting is an art which our impatient age has forgotten. We want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen”
This is what we are looking at on Sunday, the art of waiting.
Advent is about waiting. Waiting for Jesus to come, for salvation to enter the world, for God’s promises and covenant to come true. But I really believe in our day and age we don’t know how to wait. Yes we know how to be impatient but not to truly wait. To wait with expectancy, to wait even with urgency, to wait, not as if Jesus’ coming doesn’t affect us, but as if our lives depend on it.
So that is what we are looking at on Sunday – the art of waiting and also the art of finding. On Sunday we are going to be preaching from a page in your Bibles I’m almost absolutely sure you haven’t heard from before.
But before we get there start to think about waiting. What are you really waiting for this Christmas? And we’re not talking about gifts or the new Xbox. What are you really waiting for, and really desiring? Is it a healed marriage, friendship, or even a health concern? Is it a purpose, a dream, or job to come about?
What is it you are truly waiting for, and come Sunday we will talk about how to wait. And most of all…how to find as well.
Read the following quote. Then slow down, and read it again. Lastly read it one last time and let it shape your day.
There are many books that tell us how to find God. But the truth is that God is not lost or hiding. In fact, it is the actual, continuous, omnipresence of God that is so hard for the human mind to fathom.
God is with you, God is near to you, God is a part of every moment of every day. So go out today seeking to just live in awareness of his presence. As Jesus says “Pay attention” (Matt. 24:42). So may we pay attention today and find the God that isn’t lost or hiding but is right with us the whole time…
Plattsville Church 