Eberhard Arnold Quotes

Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder.

Truth without love kills, but love without truth lies.

Even the sun directs our gaze away from itself and to the life illumined by it.

We must live in community because we are stimulated by the same creative Spirit of unity who calls nature to unity and through whom work and culture shall become community in God.

The whole world is shaking at its joints. We have the frightening impression that we stand before a great and catastrophic judgment. If this catastrophe does not take place, it is only because it has been averted by God’s direct intervention. And the church is called to move God – yes, God himself – to act. This does not mean that God will not or cannot act unless we ask him, but rather that he waits for people to believe in him and expect his intervention. For God acts among us only to the extent that we ask for his action and accept it with our hearts and lives. This is the secret of God’s intervention in history.

We kill at every step, not only in wars, riots ad executions. We kill every time we close our eyes to poverty, suffering and shame.

We must have the love that exists among children, for with them love rules without any special purpose.

Forgiveness and Justice Truth without love kills, but love without truth lies. EBERHARD ARNOLD

The human race has made stupendous technological progress, conquering time and space by means of cars and planes; but how many thousands of people are being killed by these very same means! There are amazing achievements in the big cities, yet most urban families die out in the third or fourth generation. The most sinister powers of our civilization are the three mighty organizations – the state, the military, and the capitalist structure. These three organizations represent the highest achievement of the earth spirit. The tremendous edifice built up by a fallen creation is incredible. But it will end in death. How mighty is this power, how unquestioned its apparent worth!

Every impoverishment and sickening of our inner being means a loss of warmth and depth, a loss that shows up plainly in all our efforts and activities. Every healing of the inner life leads to loving sacrifice, that is, to purer and more vigorous action.

The kingdom of God draws near over all the earth. God is near wherever a complete reversal of all things is sought–the reversal that brings his rule with it. His kingdom has no territorial boundaries.

.... a soul filled with the spirit of love cannot get stuck in individualism (which is the starting point), let alone in the private sphere of subjectivism. This soul, impressed by events in God’s history, will gain power in its innermost depths from the Holy Spirit to intervene in history, making God’s kingdom a reality.

Enlightened persons to not allow the sultry urges of the sub-conscious mind to influence the thoughts of their soul. -They condemn selfish urges as irresponsible. And do not regard their sense of responsibility as morbid. Rather they feel that it is a sign of a spiritually healthy mind.

THIS IS THE MISSION entrusted to the church, a difficult mission: to uproot sins from history, to uproot sins from politics, to uproot sins from the economy, to uproot sins from wherever they are. What a difficult task! The

Outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:10) Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16) Admonish one another (Rom. 15:14) Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom. 16:16) Wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33) Have the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25) Be servants of one another (Gal. 5:13) Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) Comfort one another (1 Thess. 5:11) Build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11) Be at peace with one another (1 Thess. 5:13) Do good to one another (1 Thess. 5:15) Put up with one another in love (Eph. 4:2) Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32) Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) Forgive one another (Col. 3:13) Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16) Pray for one another (James 5:16) Love one another from the heart (1 Pet. 1:22) Be hospitable to one another (1 Pet. 4:9) Meet one another with humility (1 Pet. 5:5)

Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder." - Eberhard Arnold

Nowhere among the early Christians do we find the cold light of intellectual understanding that constantly analyzes and differentiates. Instead, there was the Spirit that burned within their hearts and made their souls alive. (Col. 2:8–10)

No one person or group of people could have brought about the first church community. No heights of oratory, no burning enthusiasm, could have awakened for Christ the thousands who were moved at the time, or produced the united life of the early church. The friends of Jesus knew this very well. Had not the risen one himself commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the great promise? (Luke 24:49) John had baptized in water all those who listened to him. But the first church was to be submerged in and filled with the holy wind of Christ’s spirit. (Acts 2:1–2)

There will be no need for do’s and don’ts, no need for tables of commandments or tablets of law. In this kingdom everything will be regulated by inner rebirth and inward inspiration, under the rule of Christ’s spirit.