We only learn to behave ourselves in the presence of God.

Poetry too is a little incarnation, giving body to what had been before invisible and inaudible.

The purpose of all opprobrious language is, not to describe, but to hurt - even when, like Hamlet, we make only the shadow-passes of a soliloquised combat. We call the enemy not what we think he is but what we think he would least like to be called.

We have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people.

Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.

Any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people's minds under the cover of fiction without their knowing it.

Oh God, God, why did you take such trouble to force this creature out of its shell if it is now doomed to crawl back -- to be sucked back -- into it?