Ideas

Quotations to Contemplate

Quotations to contemplate on the Incarnation.

On the one hand [Mary] was just a girl, an immature and frightened girl who had the good sense to believe what an angel told her in what seemed like a dream. On the other hand, she was the mother of the Son of God, with faith enough to move mountains, to sing about the victories of her son as if he were already at the right hand of his father instead of a dollop of cells in her womb. … When we allow God to be born in us, there is no telling, no telling at all, what will come out.

Barbara Brown Taylor, Mixed Blessings

God is coming! God is coming! All the element we swim in, this existence, Echoes ahead the advent. God is coming! Can’t you feel it?

Walter Wangerin Jr.,The Signs of the Times” in The Manger Is Empty

Mary’s story … tell[s] us that if the Scriptures don’t sometimes pierce us like a sword, we’re not paying close enough attention.

Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk

The whole concept of God taking human shape had never made much sense to me. That was because, I realized one wonderful day, it was so simple. For people with bodies, important things like love have to be embodied. That’s all. God had to be embodied, or else people with bodies would never in a trillion years understand about love.

Jane Vonnegut Yarmolinsky, Angels Without Wings

He came down from heaven” can almost be transposed into “Heaven drew earth up into it,” and locality, limitation, sleep, sweat, footsore weariness, frustration, pain, doubt, and death are, from before all worlds, known by God from within. The pure light walks the earth; the darkness, received into the heart of Deity, is there swallowed up. Where, except in uncreated light, can the darkness be drowned?

C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

My only rule: If you understand something, it’s no mystery.

Scott Cairns, “The Translation of Raimundo Luz: My Good Luck”

The virgin birth has never been a major stumbling block in my struggle with Christianity; it’s far less mind-boggling than the Power of all Creation stooping so low as to become one of us.

Madeleine L’Engle, A Stone for a Pillow

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people; for there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. In these words you clearly see that he is born for us. He does not simply say, Christ is born, but to you is born; neither does he say, I bring glad tidings, but to you I bring glad tidings of great joy. Furthermore, this joy was not to remain in Christ, but it shall be to all people.

Sermons of Martin Luther

Related Elsewhere

Past Reflections columns include:

  1. Listening (Nov. 30, 2000)
  2. Death and Eternity (Oct. 24, 2000)
  3. Quotations of Time and Eternity (Oct. 11, 2000)
  4. Quotations to Contemplate (Sept. 21, 2000)
  5. Christian virtues (Aug. 22, 2000)
  6. Beauty, Prayer and Loving God (Aug. 1, 2000)
  7. Prayer, Silence and Other Topics (June 31, 2000)
  8. Getting, Giving, and Generosity (June 13,2000).
  9. Easter Sunday (Apr. 3, 2000)
  10. Good Friday (Apr. 3, 2000)
  11. Friendships (Mar. 6, 2000)
  12. Gratitude: Take One (Feb. 7, 2000)
  13. God Will Prevail (Oct. 25, 1999)
  14. The Might of a Dandelion (Oct. 4, 1999)
  15. Losing Touch with God (Sept. 6,1999)
  16. Real Joy (Aug. 9, 1999)
  17. Prayer for Today (Mar. 1, 1999)

Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Anonymous Are the Peacemakers: The Nobel Peace Prize has brought fame to many peacemakers, but many unsung Christians have thwarted warfare by quiet, prayerful work.

Cover Story

Anonymous Are the Peacemakers

Briefs: North America

Readers' Forum: Get Thou Over It!

Guest Columnist: Andy Crouch Crunching the Numbers

What Is Truth (About Pilate)?

Humility's Many Faces

Southern Baptists: Cracks in the Convention

Georgia: Can Jimmy Carter Say 'Farewell'?

Updates

Sexual Politics: InterVarsity Group on Probation

Bitter Pills

Intelligent Design: Design Interference

Outreach: More than 12 Steps

Chile: Leveling the Playing Field

Philippines: Hostage Drama Exposes Christians' Vulnerability

Briefs: The World

Uganda: Ebola Strikes Again

India: Christians Scorn 'China Model'

Messianic Ethiopians Face Discrimination

Not Just Another Megachurch

Wire Story

Jubilee 2000: Grassroots Activism Delivers Debt Relief

Review

The New/Old CCM

100 Years of Beatitude

Fellowship Without Borders

Reclaiming Santa

The Evolution of St. Nick

The Kinkade Crusade

The Making of an Original

Wire Story

Ariel Sharon: Mideast Peace Process Is Dead

Between the Temple Mount and a Hard Place

Brazil's Surging Spirituality

Kingdom Prodigy

The Business of Resurrection

Using Wesley's Old Playbook

From the CEO: Who's Who on the CTI Masthead

Real Political Realism

The Artist as Prophet

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