Mary Alex Pooler

“What are Christians?” “The people in the churches.” “Yes, I know. But why do Christians give money to strangers?” He was getting a little peeved. “It’s just what Christians do. They give things away. They’re not like normal people.” I sighed. “That makes no sense.” The ex-convict tried to explain, but I could see even he didn’t understand what he was saying. In North Korea, there was no concept of doing things for other people out of kindness. Unconditional love was not something I was familiar with. You did things because of family obligation, or because of hunger or greed, or because there was no other choice. But what he was describing—people freely giving their hard-earned cash to complete strangers—was plain crazy. We changed the subject. But the ex-convict’s stories stayed in my mind. I thought of Christians as bizarre people, almost another species. I wanted to meet them, touch them, to confirm that such creatures existed.”
― Joseph Kim, Under the Same Sky: A Memoir of Survival, Hope, and Faith

“And in America you can go to a store twenty-four hours a day, any time you want. There is always something happening, even at night.”
― Joseph Kim, Under the Same Sky: A Memoir of Survival, Hope, and Faith

“Always remember to love the Giver more than the gifts.”
― Holley Gerth, Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely

“I’ve always said there are no mysteries, only things we don’t yet know; but lately I’ve thought not even knowledge takes all strangeness from the world.”
― Sarah Perry, The Essex Serpent