G.K. Chesterton was born on this day in 1874. Chesterton was a larger-than-life personality (literally–6’4 and over 300 pounds). He was a great influence on CS Lewis. His best known work, Orthodoxy, is the source for some of my favorite quotes:
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.
Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.
There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.
Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.
Dear Sir: Regarding your article ‘What’s Wrong with the World?’ I am. Yours truly,
G.K. Chesterton
For more words of wisdom, check out this article from Relevant: 15 Chesterton Quotes That Will Shape Your Faith
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