Lessons from History and Hitch

Some interesting quotes taken from ‘The Story of Christianity: 2000 Years of Faith’:-

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
~ St. Francis of Assisi

Reason’s last step is the recognition that there are an infinite number of things that go beyond it ~ Blaise Pascal

I thank your ladyship for the information concerning the Methodist preachers. Their doctrines are most repulsive, and strongly tinctured with impertinence and disrespect towards their superiors, in perpetually endeavoring to level all ranks, and do away with all distinction. It is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth. This is highly insulting; and I cannot but wonder that your Ladyship should relish any sentiments so much at variance with high rank and good breeding. ~ Dowager Duchess of Buckingham, writing to the Countess of Huntingdon, a Wesley supporter

Love all God’s creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand on it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light… if you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

Citizens in the upper classes should consider that they are not free to choose whether or not they will help those at the bottom of the ladder. They are obliged to do so. No one lives only for himself in society; each lives for all ~ Pope Leo XIII

It’s interesting to find out that many of McLaren’s views about the Bible and faith are not new, but at least parts of them have appeared previously in other forms and movements such as Liberal Theology and Neo-orthodoxy.

I have almost come to the end of this book with just a few more pages left to go. It’s been a fascinating and educational journey through time. I have enjoyed it thoroughly as I learned more about how Christianity has changed and evolved through the years, discovered more about the popular heroes and villains of the faith as well as understand how Christianity has impacted the world and vice versa. 2000 years of history is a long time from a human perspective. Sometimes, I am appalled and feel disturbed about some of the things Christians can do to fellow human beings. Other times, I feel like crying out with some of my Christian brothers and sisters who were subjected to undeserved violence and torture. There are times when I wonder why Christians nowadays find it hard to accept new and changing doctrines, when our history is filled with such revisions. I am also beginning to see how different movements, denominations and beliefs came about, many of which were necessary because of the shifting culture of the world in which Christians find themselves. New ways of thinking and new methods paved the way for new movements and new doctrines. It is more difficult now to discern which systems of belief are right and which ones are wrong, while it has become easier for me to see that it doesn’t really matter after all. I can appreciate where each proponent of a particular point of view is coming from, now that I know a little of their history. The important thing is that we all follow Christ.

At the end of it all, the feeling that most pervades my soul is the feeling of gratitude both to God and our forerunners throughout the long history of our faith. I am thankful for this legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation, even through times of great persecution and trials. If not for the perseverance of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it would have been lost midway. I am grateful to those who were not afraid to think out of the box, as well as to voice out their hearts. They made the difference. Yes indeed, we do have a goodly heritage. Through it all, God’s grace sustained them. The Holy Spirit guided them. And He continues to do so. We are not there yet.

I am also thankful to God for the freedom that I have in expressing disagreements and doubts. We live in an era where we can speak freely about what we believe without the fear of being burned on stakes as heretics. I thank God that I live in a country where I am not tortured and executed for my faith in Christ. Many other Christians are not so fortunate.

I watched the movie Hitch with Agnes tonight, and in the opening sequences, Will Smith’s character, Hitch, said something like this: Life is not about the amount of breaths you take. It’s about the moments that take your breath away.