The Jesus Creed, Orthodoxy, and Frasier
Categories : Quotes, Television, books |
Just a quick book recommendation. Earlier today I finished The Jesus Creed, by Scot McKnight. This is a great book which among other things, emphasises that there is more to Jesus than just his death and resurrection. The story of Jesus’ life, the way he lived and the things he did, are all filled with significance and conform to a singular emphasis of love for God and others - the ‘Jesus Creed.’ I especially valued the final section of the book, where McKnight discusses how various events in Jesus’ life, such as his baptism, temptation, and transfiguration, still have ongoing significance for us today. It’s a very powerful, interesting, and easy to read book and I would heartily recommend it.
The next book I’m tackling is ‘Orthodoxy‘ by G K Chesterton (Gilbert Keith Chesterton) - I wonder if anyone else has spotted the fact that the effeminate restaurant critic on Frasier (one of my favourite shows) has the same name as this classic turn of the century Christian author - Gil Chesterton. I certainly can’t find any link between the two with a quick google.
Anyway the first chapter has already proven to be a unique mix of profound thought with a healthy dose of wit, kind of reminiscent of C.S. Lewis, which I guess is not surprising given that Lewis regarded Chesterton as one of his greatest influences. Here’s a couple of examples :
It is always perilous to the mind to reckon up the mind. A flippant person has asked why we say, “As mad as a hatter.” A more flippany person might answer that a hatter is mad because he has to measure the human head.
For the circle is perfect and infinite in its nature; but it is fixed forever in its size; it can never be larger or smaller. But the cross, though it has at its heart a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms forever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox at its centre it can grow without changing. The circle returns upon itself and is bound. The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travelers.
