1. “I reject the yardstick others use to measure me. I have a yardstick of my own, one I’ve discovered myself, even if I find myself in opposition to public opinion. I must be who I am.” - Thich Nhat Hanh 23 December 1962, Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals 1962-1996, tr. Warren, Mobi.
  2. “The New Testament church was countercultural, as evidenced throughout the biblical record (e.g., Rom. 12:2). Unfortunately, this countercultural posture has not always been maintained over the past two millenia. […] the Christian church must remain a countercultural institution.” - Peters, Greg 2015, The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality, 2.
  3. “Our world needs more singers. It needs people who are not afraid to give God more than they think others will understand.” - Sister Amanda Marie Detry, FSP 2021, in Millenial Nuns: Reflections on Living a Spiritual Life in a World of Social Media, 1.
  4. “‘Kingdom’ in the first century was a political term. Jesus’s hearers knew about Herod’s kingdom and Rome’s kingdom (the word Rome used for what we call its empire). Jesus could have spoken about the community of God, or the family of God, or the people of God, but he didn’t. Instead, he spoke about the kingdom. The usage had to be deliberate, intended to contrast the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world. It is the kingdom of God. It’s not just about politics, but is the way the world would be if God were king, and the kings and domination systems of this world were not. […] it is good news for the poor and bad news for the wealthy. It is a reversal of the way things are. No wonder the common people heard Jesus gladly. […] Jesus’s message about the kingdom of God, it seems to me, is not that complicated. God’s will for the earth, God’s passion for this world, is very different from what we see around us. To his hearers he said, ‘Can you see that?’” - Borg, Marcus J 2006/2011, Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary.
  5. “Does a child of the revolution bend down to smell and touch the flowers while some die in the streets?” - Zenju Earthlyn Manuel 2020, The Deepest Peace: Contemplations from a Season of Stillness.