Reflections

God cannot be Word-less, for the Word is God…. Since God cannot be without this Word, he simply could not ever be reclusive.
~Michael Reeves, president of Union School of Theology (Oxford)

Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.
~Anonymous

The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to him is not to believe that he loves you.
~ John Owen, 1616-1683

It were a good [contest] amongst Christians, one to labor to give no offence, and the other to labor to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.
~ Richard Sibbes 1577-1635, English theologian

The strength of a person’s character would then be measured by how much ‘truth’ he could tolerate, or more precisely, to what extent he needs to have it diluted, disguised, sweetened, muted, falsified.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.
~ Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

This Sunday’s readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34

Reflections

It is not length of life, but depth of life.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn’t the start that matters. It’s the finish line.
~ Julien Smith, Author

Our duty is to encourage everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.
~ Swami Vivekananda, 19th Century Indian Philosopher

How to get rid of ego as dictator and turn it into messenger and servant and scout, to be in your service, is the trick.
~ Joseph Campbell, Author

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly (holding up one finger): This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean nothin’.
Mitch: That’s great but, what’s the one thing?
Curly: That’s what you gotta figure out.
~ City Slickers

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
~ John 1:37

This Sunday’s readings: Acts 28:30-31; 2 Timothy 4:6-13