Quotes of Note

Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking,  or all of the above.

Persis:

This is a quote from Kelly Kapic's Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering. This is one of the best books that I've read on physical suffering and one I go back to often as I have a family member who is going through physical trials right now.

We may not be able to take away the physical pain, but we can point one another to him who promises one day to completely heal us. For now we cling to his promise of restoration, cling to him who has the ability also to restore the body. He will make all things new (Rev. 21:5). We will be free from sin, pain, and tears (Is. 65:19; Rev. 21:4). We will be free from isolation, self-condemnation, darkness, fear and anger (cf. Is. 35:10 //51:11; Rev. 21:22-27). We will be utterly free to love our Creator and our neighbor. While we may not fully experience that freedom now, we can help one another to experience genuine tastes of shalom even in the present, even in our pain, even as we struggle with our sin.

Rebecca:

I am reading Nancy Pearcey's book Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions on Life and Sexuality. This quote is from the chapter on issues related to euthanasia.

It is outrageous that people today are terrified of one day requiring "help." We must stand by people struggling with their fears and let them know that even when they become less independent and productive, they are worthwhile persons deserving of care and respect. A student of mine named Alison Delong, who works for a suicide hotline, told me, "I spend hours every week persuading people not to end their lives, telling them that their lives still have value. It breaks my heart that people think they must be able to function in a certain way to be considered significant."

Most of us will need help with our basic care at some point, so this message about the significance and value of everyone is something we need to tell ourselves, too.


Deb:

I am also reading Nancy Pearcey's book, so I won't share another quote from the same book. However, this one from Sinclair Ferguson seemed perfect:

“When we behold the glory of Christ in the gospel, it reorders the loves of our hearts, so we delight in him supremely, and the other things that have ruled our lives lose their enslaving power over us.”
― Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Whole Christ