The proof of spiritual maturity is not how pure you are but awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace.
Philip YanceyRead
One of the greatest things about writing as a profession is that the words of Tolstoy, Chesterton and Dostoyevsky have lived for a hundred years and are just as powerful today. Their words have changed me just as much as the people I actually met.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Great authors can profoundly influence our lives even long after their time.
Philip Yancey's quote reflects on the enduring power of classic literature and how the words of great authors like Tolstoy, Chesterton, and Dostoyevsky continue to resonate and impact readers today. He emphasizes that their written words have had a significant effect on his life, comparable to personal interactions, highlighting the transformative potential of literature and the lasting legacy of these literary giants.
Themes
WritingLiteratureImpactAuthorsLegacy
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary conference, one might use this quote to discuss the impact of classic literature on modern writers.
More from Philip Yancey
All quotes →If my activism, however well-motivated, drives out love, then I have misunderstood Jesus’ gospel. I am stuck with law, not the gospel of grace.
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In the stories of extravagant grace given to us by Jesus, there are no loopholes disqualifying us from God's love.
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Parents learn the uses of power and its limits. They can insist on certain outward behavior but cannot change inner attitudes. They can require obedience but not goodness - and certainly not love.
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Prayer is to the skeptic a delusion, a waste of time. To the believer it represents perhaps the most important use of time.
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We grow up hungry for love, and in ways so deep as to remain unexpressed we long for our Maker to love us.
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