It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her.
Interpretation
Forgiveness requires equality in perceived value between individuals.
This quote by Timothy Keller emphasizes that true forgiveness cannot occur if one party sees themselves as better or superior to the other. For forgiveness to be genuine, there must be a recognition of equal worth and humanity, which allows for empathy and reconciliation. When we regard others as equals, we can understand their mistakes and shortcomings, facilitating the healing process that forgiveness brings.
In practice
During a therapy session, a counselor might use this quote to help clients understand the dynamics of their conflicts.
Falling in love in a Christian way is to say,'I am excited about your future and I want to be part of getting you there. I'm signing up for the journey with you. Would you sign up for the journey to my true self with me? It's going to be hard but I want to get there.
Only in Jesus Christ do we see how the untamable, infinite God can become a baby and a loving Savior. On the cross we see how both the love and the holiness of God can be fulfilled at once.
All human problems are ultimately symptoms, and our separation from God is the cause.
While your character flaws may have created mild problems for other people, they will create major problems for your spouse and your marriage.
To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.
God's Kingdom is "present in its beginnings, but still future in its fullness. This guards us from an under-realized eschatology (expecting no change now) and an over-realized eschatology (expecting all change now). In this stage, we embrace the reality that while we're not yet what we will be, we're also no longer what we used to be.
The way you start to break down systemic racism is to start building individual relationships with people who are not like you.
Whenever there is a conflict between being right and being kind, if possible, choose being kind.
It feels like a punch. Tears fill my eyes, and I wonder how I could be upset over losing something I never had.
Being a stranger was like being dead, and brought to mind how, in a book he had read that most folks misunderstood one common state: The flip side of love is indifference, not hate.
It's important to have people in your life who will applaud your ambition.
I miss God. I miss the company of someone utterly loyal. I still don't think of God as my betrayer. The servants of God, yes, but servants by their very nature betray. I miss God who was my friend. I don't even know if God exists, but I do know that if God is your emotional role model, very few human relationships will match up to it.
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