American novelist Marilynne Robinson (1943- ) won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize (for fiction) with her novel Gilead. It is the fictional autobiography of aging Congregationalist minister John Ames, who, aware that his serious heart condition means his death is imminent, wants to leave a memoir for his seven year old son to remember him by. The book is a wonderful celebration of life, and is filled with profound insights. Here are a few…
- Love is holy because it is like grace – the worthiness of the object is never what matters. Marilynne Robinson
- It’s not a man’s working hours that is important, it is how he spends his leisure time. Marilynne Robinson
- There are two occasions when the sacred beauty of Creation becomes dazzlingly apparent, and they occur together. One is when we feel our mortal insufficiency to the world, and the other is when we feel the world’s mortal insufficiency to us. Marilynne Robinson
- Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defence. Marilynne Robinson
- I don’t know exactly what covetous is, but in my experience it is not so much desiring someone else’s virtue or happiness as rejecting it, taking offence at the beauty of it. Marilynne Robinson
- Christianity is a life, not a doctrine… I’m not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I’m saying you must make sure that the doubts and questions are your own. Marilynne Robinson
As always, nice chatting…
