Category: quotes and reflections

No one undergoes a stronger struggle than the man who tries to subdue himself. This should be our chief employment: strive to overcome ourselves and gain such a mastery that we daily grow stronger and better.

…

Because many people spend more time and effort in becoming educated than in living properly, it happens that many, therefore, go astray and bear little or no fruit.

…

If we were as diligent in uprooting vices and planting virtues as we are in debating abstruse questions, there would not be so many evils or scandals among us nor such laxity in monastic communities. Certainly, when Judgment Day comes we shall not be asked what books we have read, but what deeds we have done; we shall not be asked how well we have debated, but how devoutly we have lived.

Thomas a Kempis

James and I were talking today about all manner of things, and he dropped a little thought bomb that I thought I would share in rough form, before I’ve given it a lot of time to process and make my answer somewhat cogent (though I will no doubt do so soon…)

Proposition: What if God exists, and Jesus comes down, and everything we believe about Christianity remained constant, except there was no promise of eternal reward: i.e. there were no heaven, or at the very least we were not promised that we would go there simply by serving God/believing in Him/insert your own requirements here?

Given the above, here are a few questions:

1. Would you still serve God and attempt to live a “holy” lifestyle?

2. How would that change your view of the “Gospel”?

3. What does your answer to the first two questions tell you about the role that selfishness plays in your own personal decision to follow Christ?

4. If we as Christians are actually doing everything we’re doing ultimately so that we won’t end up in hell, does it mean that we may actually end up “doing all the right things”, yet still end up there anyway because our inward motivation was wrong?

5. How would this conflict with the current goals and ideas of mainstream American Christianity as a whole, and whatever local community of believers you find yourself a part of?

While this question is, in some sense, purely hypothetical, I none the less think it an important question to answer, or to at least think about.

I would be interested in hearing some of your comments on the subject.

robbie seay was in CS tonight, playing at all faiths. i’ll have some pictures up later.

there were two highlights for me – the first coming right off the bat as they played “when the cold wind blows” – one of my favorite songs. they also played “go outside” – a fantastic song, with a near haunting chorus that continues to ring in my ears:

“no one should be left out…”

earlier this month, bono spoke at the national prayer breakfast. i would highly encourage you to read the transcript (available here), as there are far too many good parts to put them all here. This one in particular that stuck with me:

A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord’s blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it… I have a family, please look after them… I have this crazy idea…

And this wise man said: stop.

He said, stop asking God to bless what you’re doing.

Get involved in what God is doing—because it’s already blessed.

Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing.

And that is what He’s calling us to do.

For those of you who haven’t read Tuesdays With Morrie, buy a copy (and read it) today.

There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble.

-Morrie Schwartz

this was posted on postsecret today… for some reason it struck me as interesting:

Dear Frank-

It’s 1 AM and I’m sitting here, browsing the web and feeling sorry for myself over all the things that I’ve lost…and as I’m browsing PostSecret, reading all of these postcards, I realize I’m not alone. For even in the ones seemingly entirely irrelevant to me, I see a little bit of myself.

I may not be able to turn to my family or my friends or even myself for comfort, but I at least find solace in those six little words: I am not the only one.

-Maryland

i know that my posting links to jeff keese’s articles is probably getting old. they’re just too darn good though.

his latest offering is here

so what is faith? honestly, i don’t know if i can pin it down just yet. i know it’s not just something that resides in my intellect and i know it’s not an emotional response. maybe faith sits somewhere in between my mind and my heart. when my knowledge of God and His ways fails me, i have to rely on my feelings for Him and His for me. when my emotions betray be, i have the knowledge of His promises to break my fall. i may not be able to define my faith yet, but at least i’m on a journey of faith. and most often, journeys teach us things that destinations never could.

ask yourself, “what is my faith all about?” if you don’t come up with a clear answer, don’t get frustrated, just keep thinking.

And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you’re blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow

In Graceland, in Graceland
I’m going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
There’s some part of me wants to see
Graceland
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love, every ending

Or maybe there’s no obligations now
Maybe I’ve a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland

usually you read articles of people who are pro-death penalty changing to anti-death penalty, not the other way around. this is an article of a woman whose husband’s cousin was killed who swapped views.

I was in court for the penalty phase, and as I listened to witnesses testify on his behalf, I was surprised at how indifferent I was to his personal plight. I didn’t much care that his family had escaped from Vietnam and that he’d had problems assimilating to American culture, or that his parents had a difficult time keeping him out of trouble.

Before this happened, I likely would have argued that this young defendant had extenuating circumstances beyond his control. But not anymore. Maybe it’s because my daughter is almost the same age as Constantine was when he was killed, or maybe it’s because the reality of experience trumps theoretical beliefs. Whatever the reason, when I looked at the young man sitting at the defense table, I didn’t see a victim. All I saw was the man who took my family member’s life.

read the full article here

to me this brings up a valuable point, made very well in a debate prep session on the west wing (yes, i do watch other things… none the less, the point is well made in the following dialogue:)

Toby
Mr. President, this next question is on capital punishment, which you oppose: If your youngest daughter Zoey was raped and murdered, would you not want to see the man responsible put to death?

Bartlet
First of all, it’s important to understand the President doesn’t make that decision, though he appoints the Supreme Court Justices who do so. What… any… um… All right, I’m not going to say that. I’ll just go right to… No, I don’t. I think you know that I’m opposed…. [sighs] Let’s not do that. I haven’t seen any evidence that it’s a deterrent, and there are more effective… In my state…

Toby
Oh, my God.

Bartlet
What?

Toby
What’s the matter with you? When I left you… I just mentioned your daughter being murdered, and you’re giving us an answer that’s not only soporific, it’s barely human! Yes, you’d want to see him put to death. You’d want it to be cruel and unusual, which is why it’s probably a good idea that fathers of murder victims don’t have legal rights in these situations.

i suppose my point is this: i completely understand where this woman is coming from, but i don’t believe it makes her position right. were someone to kill someone close to me, i would likely want them to suffer, but our justice system is not based on my feelings – rather it should be based on fairness, impartiality, and respect for human life.

this particular moment comes back to me now, on this day for some reason. i was driving home for Christmas listening to one of my favorite WW episodes when a particular scene struck me in a certain way for the first time:

Josh
So this is gonna be my reaction every time I hear music?

Stanley
(with a chuckle) No.

Josh
Why not?

Stanley
Because we get better.

Whatever the wounds of the past or the state of the present, the wonderful promise and beautiful hope for each of us is that we get better.

My prayer for you is that in your pain, whatever it may be, you will find healing, if only in small steps, and that with each step, you will draw closer to the eternal healing of God almighty.