G.K. Chesteron:
A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life.
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.
The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.
—”The Ethics of Elfland,” chapter 4 in Orthodoxy.
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This is one of my favorite Chesterton Quotes ever! It is definitely in my all time favorite quote list.
I’ve never heard this before. The last line made me smile.
I read this on a friends facebook page this morning and I was reminded of it when I read your blog. I’m assuming it’s from The Message:
Psalms 96
7 Bravo, GOD, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.
8 Bring gifts and celebrate,
So what does this say about me bouncing my leg all the time?
-egoista