REFLECTION QUOTES

“We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.”

~Kendrick Lamar, rapper, songwriter and producer

“We don’t have any control. And so, if you don’t have any control, then maybe everything you have is a gift.”

~Riz Ahmed, actor and rapper, speaking on NPR about the pandemic

“The Bible is God’s anthropology rather than man’s theology.”

~Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), leading Jewish rabbi and theologian

“…the mystery…that Almighty God would come down…in the person of Jesus Christ and became one of us…. There is really nothing like that incredible social inversion of Almighty God coming here and living with us and dying with us.”

~Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles

“That a god should put up with adversity, I could understand. The gods of Hinduism face their fair share…. Adversity, yes. Reversals of fortune, yes. Treachery, yes. But humiliation? Death? I couldn’t imagine Lord Krishna consenting to be stripped naked, whipped, mocked, dragged through the streets and, to top it off, crucified…. [D]ivinity should not be blighted by death. It’s wrong…. The Son must have the taste of death forever in His mouth. The Trinity must be tainted by it; there must be a certain stench at the right hand of God the Father. The horror must be real. Why would God wish that upon Himself? Why not leave death to the mortals? Why make dirty what is beautiful, spoil what is perfect?

“Love. That was Father Martin’s answer.”

~ Pi’s response to hearing the Christian gospel in Yann Martel’s The Life of Pi

“If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn’t love hard to believe?”

~Yan Martel in Life of Pi

“Love is divine only and difficult always.”

~Toni Morrison (1935-2019), novelist and college professor

“Life is short. Death is sure. Sin the cause. Christ the cure.”

~Source Unknown

SERMON PASSAGE

Luke 2:8-12 (ESV)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”