We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For
John Shuck
First Presbyterian Church
Elizabethton, Tennessee
November 16th, 2008
Obama and Niebuhr: A Sermon
John Shuck
First Presbyterian Church
Elizabethton, Tennessee
November 16th, 2008
Obama and Niebuhr: A Sermon
In the sermon John quotes Reinhold Niebuhr who "wrote the following 56 years ago in his book, The Irony of American History. This is also good wisdom for our new president-elect.
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true, or beautiful, or good, makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, could be accomplished alone; therefore, we must be saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint; therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness." (my emphasis)
I did not know about Niebuhr but Barak Obama did. Now I have someone new to read and discover more about. I hope you will read the sermon. John Shuck is good. j
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true, or beautiful, or good, makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, could be accomplished alone; therefore, we must be saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint; therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness." (my emphasis)
I did not know about Niebuhr but Barak Obama did. Now I have someone new to read and discover more about. I hope you will read the sermon. John Shuck is good. j
3 comments:
Thank you for the shout, Jay, and the nice comment!
forgiveness is where truth and justice meet.
I love that quotation.
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