Links

A couple of beauties from other bloggers:

Brad, The Broken Messenger, recently posted a remarkable piece connecting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22-23) and the attributes of love (1 Corinthians 13). The parallels and Brad's explication of them are brilliant. There's so much that is quotable there, I'm tempted to excerpt the whole thing! Just go read The Supremacy of Love. You'll be blessed, enlightened, and glad you did.

Friend and fellow Thinkling Bill just posted at his solo blog, Out of the Bloo, a neat celebration of gentleness, a favorite virtue of Shizuka Blog. Here's an excerpt from The God Who Stoops:

"[T]he NIV renders the idea of God's gentleness [in 2 Samuel 22.36], 'You stoop down'. And, of course, our God does stoop down to lift us up. As any good parent knows, 'stooping' is a large part of raising small children. With little ones around, a great part of your day can be taken up in stooping - stooping down to look at the world from their level, stooping down to listen to the things that are important to them. We imbue our little ones with strength and power when we, in gentleness, stoop down and look them in the eye, embrace them, smile and tell them how loved they are, and encourage them that, yes, they can.

There is so much power in gentleness. Our Lord came to the world in gentleness, quietly and unobtrusively, and the heavenly host shouted as the shepherds hit the dirt, prostrate and trembling. And He exhibited the power of His gentleness throughout His life, touching and healing the sick, restoring the lame, welcoming the children. He was, by His own prophetic pronouncement, 'gentle and lowly'.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. - Matthew 11:29

He was also, of course, the King, zealous for His Father's name; a truth-teller, fearless in the face of opposition. Our Lord Jesus: joyous and weeping, triumphant and weary, He was the Man of all men. In Him was unfathomable power veiled in human flesh; a burning, holy passion with a gentle touch for a world desperate for healing.

Jesus is the One who stooped down for us, and in doing so, gave us the privilege of being called the children of God. I praise and thank the God who stoops!"

To paraphrase the voice in Augustine's head, "Go and read."