I recently finished reading
Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg. In fact, it was
one of my favorite reads in 2022. While I really enjoyed the entire book, these quotes, in particular, stood out to me.
“Our responses to the vulnerable expose who we are. This is an important principle to keep in mind as we consider the use—and misuse—of power.
(page 18)
“First, to be human is to have a voice. The voice of God spoke everything into existence. To be created in his image is to have a self, to have a voice and creative expression. Abuse of power silences ”
(page 20)
“The exploitation of the vulnerable person tells us about the exploiter, not the victim of that exploitation”
(page 25)
“In Christendom, we can use spiritual language to cloak selfish ambition, hide abuses of many kinds, and do incalculable damage in the name of God.”
(page 64)
“There is no human being we will ever meet, no matter how wounded, disordered, or evil, no matter their theology, style of worship, or ways of thinking, who was not created by the God we love.”
(page 68)
“The abuse exposes the heart of the abuser, not the heart of the victim. The refusal to help exposes those asked, not the victim. The asking exposes the courage of the victim.”
(page 80)
“Vulnerable humans need protection in every human system. There is no system so godly that this is not true. Vulnerable ones need a voice, yet they’re easily discounted by virtue of their vulnerability”
(page 90)
“When you feel overwhelmed, remember this: people are sacred, created in the image of God. Systems are not. They are only worth the people in them and the people they serve. And people are to be treated, whether one or many, the way Jesus Christ treated people. He made them more vibrant and human; he never dehumanized. He joined with; he became like us. He never divided humans into us and them. He never treated people as pathogens. He worked righteousness into hearts and lives.”
(page 97)
“I also believe that women have been hindered, in both secular and Christian society, from exercising their God-given gifts. The church has frequently failed to encourage women to use their minds, and women have been pressed into a particular, solitary mold of wife and mother and judged as ungodly, unworthy, inadequate, or unfeminine if they don’t fit the mold. Some have not been called by God to that path. Others have been called to that path for a portion of their lives but not in their totality. The church is significantly poorer for clinging to its well-loved boxes, many of which are highly influenced by culture, the church fathers, and tradition.”
(page 109)
“Faith that pleases the heart of the Father reveals itself not in external measures such as growth and numbers but in character and Christlikeness. One who follows Christ bears the fruit of the Spirit in every nook and cranny of their lives. The faith of a true Christ follower emanates in kindness, gentleness, self-control, patience, and faithfulness. These describe the character of a follower of Jesus, one who is living out of grateful love to Jesus Christ. Anyone who does not manifest this fruit, no matter their accomplishments and great success, is not following Jesus. They are not growing in likeness to Christ.”
(page 161)
“The person of Christ is Light. In him is no darkness at all—none, not even a spot. No matter how much he encounters darkness, is surrounded by darkness, or exposes darkness, he remains light. ”
(page 171)
“The love of God, first in Christ and now in us, is the most powerful weapon there is. When we walk in love with others, the response will be, 'Now I understand the love of God, the graciousness of God, the steadfastness of God, because I have seen glimpses of it in you.'”
(page 187)
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