Recently a pilot was practicing high-speed maneuvers in a jet fighter. She turned the controls for what she thought was a steep ascent — and flew straight into the ground. She was unaware that she had been flying upside down.

This is a parable of human existence in our times—not exactly that everyone is crashing, though there is enough of that—but most of us as individuals, and world society as a whole, live at high-speed, and often with no clue to whether we are flying upside down or right-side up. Indeed, we are haunted by a strong suspicion that there may be no difference—or at least that is unknown or irrelevant. (Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy)

Jesus’ good news, then, was that the Kingdom of God had come, and that he, Jesus, was its herald and expounder to men. More than that, in some special, mysterious way, he was the Kingdom. (Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: the Man Who Lives)

I very much wonder where this practice has originated. This is contrary to the evangelical and apostolic discipline, in some places water is offered in the Lord’s cup. But water by itself cannot represent the blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit also is not silent in the Psalms on the sacrament of these things, when he makes mention of the Lord’s cup and says, “your inebriating cup, how excellent it is.” Now the cup that inebriates is certainly mingled with wine. For water cannot inebriate anybody. And the cup of the Lord inebriates in the same way as Noah also was intoxicated by drinking wine in Genesis. However, the intoxication of the Lord’s cup and blood is not the same as is the intoxication of the world’s wine. The Lords cup inebriates those who drink it in such a manner as to make them sober. It restores their minds to spiritual wisdom. (Cyprian, c. 250 AD)

The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy.  It is not hard to see why.  The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God:  a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency.  Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. (C.S. Lewis, The Business of Heaven).

Quentin: You know, more and more I think that for many years I looked at life like a case at law, a series of proofs. When you’re young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then a good father; finally, how wise, or powerful, or what-the-hell-ever. But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That I was moving on an upward path toward some elevation, where—God knows what—I would be justified, or even condemned—a verdict anyway. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day—and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was this endless argument with oneself—this pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench. Which, of course, is another way of saying—despair. (Arthur Miller, After the Fall)

Jesus was the only one that ever raised the dead and he shouldn’t have done it. He’s thrown everything off balance. If he did what he said, then it’s nothing for you to do but throw away everything and follow him, and if he didn’t, then it’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can. (Flannery O’Connor)

I fear there are some Christians among you to whom Christ can say no such thing. Your haughty dwelling rises in the midst of thousands who have scarce a fire to warm themselves at and have but little clothing to keep out the biting frost; and yet you never darkened their door. You heave a sigh perhaps at a distance but you do not visit them. Ah! My dear friends! I am concerned for the poor; but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in the great day. You seem to be Christians and yet you care not for his poor. Oh, what a change will pass upon you as you enter the gates of heaven! You will be saved, but that will be all. There will be no abundant entrance for you: “He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly.” (Robert Murray McCheyne, from a sermon titled “More Blessed to Give than to Receive”)

The opposite of fear is love. Fear is self-centeredness. Love is self-giving. The only way to finally destroy fear is in community. (Tim Keller, sermon on praying fears).

What if our value exists because God takes pleasure in us? (Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What)

God doesn’t just turn up when you page Him. He is right where He always is, and what regular, daily-maybe-twice prayer gives us is some more hint of just where that is, and how to get there, and one of the things liturgy gives us is a way to get there when all our other ways have given out. (Lauren Winner, Girl Meets God)