Friday, December 16, 2011

A Voice from the Past - Chesterton

Any agnostic or atheist whose childhood has known a real Christmas has ever afterwards, whether he likes it or not, an association in his mind between two ideas that most of mankind must regard as remote from each other; the idea of a baby and the idea of unknown strength that sustains the stars.His instincts and imagination can still connect them, when his reason can no longer see the need of the connection; for him there will always be some savior of savour of religion about the mere picture of a mother and a baby; some hint of mercy and softening about the mere mention of the dreadful name of God.

G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, The Everlasting Man; Part II: On the Man Called Christ, Chapter I: The God in the Cave (Dover Publications Inc., 2007, pp. 164-165)

Does this make sense? If so what are the implications?

2 comments:

  1. It makes sense to me when I consider the Christ Child with my heart but to my head it makes no sense.

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  2. I would be uncomfortable with a God I could completely understand. I would think I had invented Him. It is not at all surprising God is someone our head cannot totally grasp. It would be more surprising if He was.

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