The problem of pain meets its match in the scandal of grace.

When I pray for another person, I am praying for God to open my eyes so that I can see that person as God does, and then enter into the stream of love that God already directs toward that person.

I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will make sense only in reverse.

Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.

In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with desire to get his family back.

Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part.

The proof of spiritual maturity is not how pure you are but awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace.

Any discussion of how pain and suffering fit into God's scheme ultimately leads back to the cross.

No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.

In the stories of extravagant grace given to us by Jesus, there are no loopholes disqualifying us from God's love.

I doubt God keeps track of how many arguments we win; God may indeed keep track of how well we love.

In fact most of what we call anxiety is overconcern about what someone thinks of you.

Offhand, the only North American writers I can think of who have come from a background of rural poverty and gone on to write about it have been Negroes.

The shadows: some hide, others reveal.

Better a sparrow, living or dead, than no birdsong at all.

Shame is one of the greatest aphrodisiacs in the world, anyway, built into religion.

I'm not a prejudice person, and I've worked with many male legislators and some have been excellent for us, so I'm not speaking against a class of people.

As an actor you really want to push yourself, and there's no better way than to do an intense drama.

Sometimes humanity is the reason we can't have nice things

I don't think I'm particularly sexual, no more than anyone else, though I am very creative.

Some Native American writers enjoy being called Native American writers.