Umar Malik

“[Christianity] is in fact the religion of those who have been disinherited and condemned by life. Contrary to all vitalism and all worship of the healthy and strong, Christianity sees life better preserved by those who have already died once.”
― Dorothee Sölle, Suffering

“But Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who live righteously and maintain a righteous lifestyle.” Rather he affirms, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The statement presupposes that righteousness is something the faithful continuously strive after. The blessed are not those who arrive but those who continue, at whatever cost, in their pilgrimage toward a more perfect righteousness. The constant, relentless drive toward righteousness characterizes the blessed.”
― Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels

“It was our beloved Savior’s final night in mortality, the evening before He would offer Himself a ransom for all humankind. As He broke bread with His disciples, He said something that must have filled their hearts with great alarm and deep sadness. “One of you shall betray me,” He told them.
The disciples didn’t question the truth of what He said. Nor did they look around, point to someone else, and ask, “Is it him?”
Instead, “they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?” (Matthew 26:21–22; emphasis added).
I wonder what each of us would do if we were in the room when the Savior made that statement. Would we look at those around us and say in our hearts, “He’s probably talking about Brother so-and-so. I’ve always wondered about him,” or “I’m glad Sister so-and-so is here. She really needs to hear this message”? Or would we, like those disciples of old, look inward and ask that penetrating question: “Is it I?” In these simple words, Lord, is it I? lies the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal conversion and lasting change.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Religion cannot survive, whole and effective when it is confined to one single compartment of life and education. Religion is either all or it is nothing; either it dwarfs all profane studies or it is dwarfed by them.”
― Charles Le Gai Eaton, Islam and the Destiny of Man