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“Nine Ascending steps of loving one’s enemy: 1.) take no evil initiative; 2.) do not avenge another’s evil; 3.) Be quiet; 4.) suffer wrongfully; 5.) surrender to the evil doer more than he demands; 6.) do not hate the evil doer; 7.) Love him; 8.) Do him good; 9.) Entreat God on his behalf.”
—John Chrysostom, 5th Century Church Father
“There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by. A life of good days lived in the senses is not enough. The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less; time is ample and its passage sweet.”
— Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
“I once heard the worst thing
A man can do is draw a hungry crowd
To tell everyone his name, pride and confidence
But leaving out his doubt
I’m not sure I bought those words
When I was young, I knew most everything
These words have never meant as much to anyone
As they now mean to me
The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town
‘Cause nothing happens here
That doesn’t happen there
So when you run, make sure you run
To something and not away from
‘Cause lies don’t need an aeroplane
To chase you down”
— The Avett Brothers “The Weight of Lies”
“I used to float, now I just fall down
I used to know but I’m not sure now
What I was made for
What was I made for?”
— Billie Eilish lyrics, “What was I made for?”
“Sex is sinful to the degree that, instead of drawing you closer to other human beings in their humanness, it unites bodies but leaves the lives inside them hungrier and more alone than before.”
— Frederick Buechner
Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavours, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defence thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreation; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild, and courteous speeches and behavior: forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.
— Westminster Larger Catechism
“[Jesus] is saying that our attitude to the law of God is an index of our attitude to God himself. If we treat the law lightly and encourage others to do so, we show that we are strangers to the promise of the new covenant in Christ. But if we love and keep even the least of the Lord’s commandments, and we encourage others to do so as well, that is a sure mark that we love Christ and belong to his kingdom.”
— Sinclair Ferguson
“The Lord who said, ‘Ye are the light of the world,’ also said, ‘I am the light of the world.’ These two statements must always be taken together, since the Christian is only ‘the light of the world’ because of his relationship to Him who is Himself ‘the light of the world.’”
—D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“The church does not become good because we have some capable members, some powerful members, some influential members, some rich members, or some accomplished members. No. What should a church glorify in? It should glorify in the suffering of Christ, the body that suffers for the sake of Christ, the life of the martyrs. What a church glorifies in, who it glorifies in, what kind life it glorifies in, will demonstrate whether it is a faithful church that is filled with longing for the end times.”
— Wang Yi, Pastor, Early Rain Covenant Church, Chengdu, China (arrested and in state custody since December, 2018)
The Merciful:
“[those] who come to the aid of others” — St. Augustine
“[those] who are not only prepared to put up with their own troubles but who also take on other people’s troubles.” — John Calvin
“The Gospel Merciful are the understanding; those who under-stand; those who put themselves under others to support them.” — Frederick Dale Bruner