Monday, June 19, 2006

Some quotes

Here are some quotes I recently read from a book called "The Secret Message of Jesus"

"Instead of being about the kingdom of God coming to earth, the Christian religion has often become preoccupied with abandoning or escaping the earth and going to heaven"

"Perhaps this understanding of the kingdom reveals the horrible truth that even church and state with their sacred theologies and idealogies, like all other structures of this world will--given the chance--execute God so they can run their own petty kingdoms. What if our only hope lies in this impossible paradox: the only way to the kingdom of God can be strong in a truly liberating way is through a scandalous, NONCOERCIVE kind of weakness"

"Is it your way or the highway?"--Pedro the lion

"Oh, look you earned your wings
Are you an angel, now
Or a vulture
Constantly hovering over
Waiting for a big mistake"--Pedro the Lion

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those quotes really resonate with me-- even thinking about the recent 06/06/2006 drama. It seems to me like so many Christians are preoccupied with the way the world is "going to hell", and so few are concerned with initiating change in the things that bother them.


The second quote especially is interesting, because it brings to light just how countercultural Jesus' message really was-- commands to lose our lives in order to gain them, to allow someone to injure you rather than retaliate. Some of Christ's teachings are almost alien to what our society now values.

Have you read Allen Wakabayashi's Kingdom Come? I really enjoyed it and found that a lot of the language he used was helpful in describing the thoughts that had been tumbling in my head. It's more theological than the book you are quoting, which seems more philosophy and logic oriented, but you might enjoy it nonetheless.

8:02 PM

 
Blogger David said...

Thanks Katie, I will keep that book in mind.

9:46 PM

 

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