I came across this quote last week by Miroslav Volf. Volf wrote a beautiful book called Exclusion and Embrace. His writing inspires me as it is truly art. I would like to know what you think about this short excerpt from his chapter on gender identity.
Volf said,
"In a world of enmity self-giving is the risky and hard work of love. There are no guarantees that self-giving will overcome enmity and that the evildoers will not try to invade the space that the self has made and crush those willing to give themselves for the good of others. We will have to resist such evildoers without betraying the commitment to self-giving. But though self-giving has no assurance of success, it does have the promise of eternity because it reflects the character of the divine Trinity. It is on account of self-giving that divine persons exist in a perfect community in which each is itself only by being inhabited by the others. And it is through the power of self-giving that a new community of men and women will emerge, in which distinct but dynamic gender identities that are "not without" the other will be fashioned and re-fashioned in peace."
Our example of self-giving on this day of celebration is the gift of Christ's death and glorious resurrection. Let us continue to follow His perfect and love-filled example and give of ourselves in every way we can...until He comes to take us home.
Thanks for the reflection. Way too many sources just have gender wrong, but Volf gets it right. He's thick but oh so rich. Sorry these gems have to come from your nightmare!
ReplyDeleteYou caught me!
ReplyDeleteOk ok...I love what I'm studying despite the whining. It is all so rich and sometimes difficult. This semester was tough for me. The subject matter depressed me at times, but I needed all of it. It is good...painful, but good.