Contridiction of freedom and omnipotence

Oh my goodness.

The new blogger design template. Im speechless. Its insanely awesome. And the choices. Too many. I already can pick seven templates that I like more than the current one, all of them trash the nonsense dots and all that we all are famaliar with. And then I just realised that there are a whole lot of other options, including changing the pic at the top into awesome pictures. Like, oh crap, I always searched for those nice pictures and now blogger is showing them to me, to incorporate into my blogskin somemore.

Blogger I love you. Today, you have made me proud that I do not own a livejournal or wordpress or anything else, because today you officially pwned them.

In my opinion at least. Blogger still doesnt do things like locking certain posts or password protecting posts but hey, I dont need them. Still doesnt have the speed of tumblr. But today, the designer, it just won.

Ohhhh man. I dont know what to choose anymore. Haha I think I'll play around and keep changing my blogskin until im finally satisfied. Be prepared for constantly changing blogskins in the next few weeks!! Actually make that months I think I need alot of time to play with it xD.

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Haha, my title has nothing to do with everything above. I started this post with the intention for this part but then I saw the awesome design stuff =p.

Two quotes, first one from Philip Yancey himself in the book, other one whereby he quoted from someone else.

I believe God insists on such restraint because no pyrotechnic displays of omnipotence will acheieve the response he desires. Although power can force obedience, only love can summon a reponse of love, which is the one thing God wants from us and the reason he created us. - Philip Yancey

Love consents to all and commands only those who consent. Love is abdication. God is abdication. - Simone Weil

This is actually from one of the earlier chapters that I read before I even posted the previous points on the Sermon On The Mount. It discusses the issue of the nature of the all-powerful God and how the all powerful God does not seem to act in a way that perhaps one might think an all-powerful God would.

It is interesting to note that at the heart of it all is love. And love is something that cannot be forced, cannot come from someone who is restricted in freedom. Without free will, there is no love.

The points are of course much more than this, this is but a summary to think about. Perhaps when we question the nature of human suffering.

I have just read the chapter on death yesterday and Resurrection today actually and it does discuss this issue a little bit more. Why Jesus went to the cross, why did he not save himself from the cross with all power to do so and all that. And its very interesting how God achieves his purposes in ways we do not foresee. We think that there is but one means to one particular end, but God does it in such a dramatically different and perhaps even outrageous way that achieves the end to an effect we do not expect.

The greatest of this, the King who came to die. Who had all power but was slain. Who defied all laws and rose again.

Hmm. I find this book to be really a very intriguing book. A highly recommended read for those who already have some form of understanding of the Christian doctrine and want to better understand the character of God and the purpose of Jesus. Some of the things really strike you and you realise that you have never seen it in that light before.

Its more than just salvation you see. In those 3 years of ministry, it was everything about the kingdom of God.

But I have ran off topic from my original point. I cant express it. Go read it yourself. Its really worth it.

Otherwise, sleepy me is going to sleep. ExploRally 2nd volunteer's training, here I comeeeeeee.