Wednesday, October 12, 2005

CQOD: 10/14/05 -- Underhill: from ethics to love

Christian Quotation of the Day

October 14, 2005
Meditation:
    Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
    He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
    Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick...
    -- Matthew 12:9-15 (NIV)

Quotation:
    “Books,” said St. Augustine after his conversion, “could not teach me charity.” We still keep on thinking they can. We do not realize ... the utter distinctness of God and the things of God. Psychology of religion can not teach us prayer, and ethics cannot teach us love. Only Christ can do that, and He teaches by the direct method, in and among the circumstances of life. He does not mind about our being comfortable. He wants us to be strong, able to tackle life and be Christians, be apostles in life, so we must be trained by the ups and downs, the rough-and-tumble of life. Team games are compulsory in the school of Divine Love—there is no getting into a corner with a nice, spiritual book.
    ... Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), Light of Christ [1944]

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, too often I reject the lessons You place before me in life. Alert my heart to Your teaching each day.


See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

CQOD Compilation Copyright 2005, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
CQOD Home Page:    http://www.cqod.com/

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