Penguins and Golden Calves by Madeline L'Engle

On artists:
"Artists of all disciplines must be willing to go into the dark, let go control, be surprised." p 133

On book discussion groups:
"I love the small group of women with whom I meet weekly to discuss whatever book we have chosen and what it means in our lives and in our understanding of Christ. We do not try to coerce each other, even when we disagree. We try to listen to each other, and to God. Therefore, this group is for me another icon, and one that helps me to keep my eyes and ears open, and my mind ready to move and grow in understanding." p 36

On Certainty :
"We tend to defend vigorously things that in our deepest hearts we are not quite certain about. If we are certain of something we know, it doesn't need defending!" p 184

On False Expectations:
"We have false expectations of our holy days, of our churches, of each other. We have false expectations of our friends. Jesus did not. He had expectations, but they were not false, and when they were not met, he did not fall apart. He was never taken in by golden calves! Friendship not only takes time, it takes a willingness to drop false expectations, of ourselves, of each other. Friends--or lovers--are not always available to each other. Inner turmoils can cause us to be unhearing when someone needs us, to need to receive understanding when we should be giving understanding." p 36

On Families and Sacrifice:
"There aren't any easy answers to the questions being raised today, and it may be too easy for me to remember Jesus saying, "Greater love has no man than to give up his life for his friend." Or wife, or children. Isn't staying with your family sometimes a real equivalent of giving up your own life? Cannot it sometimes be a blessing, especially if it is given with graciousness, not rigid rectitude? I believe that it can, because I know of families where this is what has happened. Sacrifice is no longer popular, but I think that sometimes it can lead to true joy. Even the simplest of unions does not come free. There is always sacrifice." p 64

On God's Love:
"God says, 'I love you! I love you enough to come and be with you. And because I live forever, you will, too.'" p 35

On the Holy Spirit:
"The Holy Spirit came not only to comfort us, but to show us how to live in Christ, and only as we are in Christ can we begin to understand the mysteries of faith." p 78

On Idols:
"There's the rub; an icon can far too easily become an idol. Idols always bring disaster to the idolater. An icon is an open door to the Creator; when it becomes an idol, the door slams in your face." p 39

On Shadows :
"What is my own shadow? If we all had the ability to recognize our shadows we might not be driven by them." p 134

On the 'Shadow self' :
"A lot of the shadow self is the home of poetry, story, prayer. My deepest understandings are often released from the part of me of which I am least aware most of the time." p 133

On the Wildness of Christianity:
"What I believe is so magnificent, so glorious, that it is beyond finite comprehension. To believe that the universe was created by a purposeful, benign Creator is one thing. To believe that this Creator took on human vesture, accepted death and mortality, was tempted, betrayed, broken, and all for love of us, defies reason. It is so wild that it terrifies some Christians who try to dogmatize their fear by lashing out at other Christians, because tidy Christianity with all answers given is easier than one which reaches out to the wild wonder of God's love, a love we don't even have to earn." p 31

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