“Books never cease to astonish me. When I was a child, I knew--in the incontestable way that children know things--that God was an author who'd imagined me, which is why I (and everyone else) existed: to populate His narrative. My task was to imagine God in return: this was all He and I owed each other.”
Quote Analysis
In this quote by Martha Cooley, she expresses the awe and wonder that books inspire in her. She recounts a childhood belief that God is an author who created all of existence to populate his narrative. Cooley describes a reciprocal relationship with God, where our task is to imagine and interpret the divine in return. This quote delves into the idea of creation, creativity, and imagination in a profound and thought-provoking way.
The Power of Imagination in Literature
In today's fast-paced world, where technology often takes center stage, the quote by Martha Cooley reminds us of the timeless power of books and literature. Cooley's words emphasize the importance of imagination and the connection between the author, the reader, and the characters within a story. In a world filled with distractions, books have the ability to transport us to different worlds, challenge our perspectives, and foster empathy. Just as Cooley believed that God was an author who imagined us into existence, we are reminded of the creative force that lies within each of us to imagine and create our own narratives. Books continue to astonish us and shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Inspirational Quote by Martha Cooley
Martha Cooley beautifully expresses the profound impact of books on her beliefs and understanding of the world. Below is an example of how this quote could be used in a conversation or a written piece:
- When discussing the power of literature, one could say: "As Martha Cooley eloquently put it, books have the ability to expand our minds and deepen our connection to the world around us. I, too, have always felt that literature opens up new possibilities and perspectives, allowing us to imagine and understand the mysteries of life."
Reflection Questions
The quote by Martha Cooley explores the relationship between books, imagination, and the concept of God as an author. Reflect on the following questions to delve deeper into this thought-provoking idea:
- How has reading books shaped your understanding of yourself and the world around you?
- Do you agree with the notion that God is an author who imagined you? Why or why not?
- In what ways do you exercise your imagination in your daily life? How does this connect to the idea of imagining God in return?
- How can the act of reading be a form of dialogue or exchange between the reader and the author, similar to Cooley's concept of imagining God in return?
Similar quotes
“Men do not turn from God so easily. Not so easily. Deep in each man is the knowledge that something knows of his existence. Something knows, and cannot e fled nor hid from. To imagine otherwise is to imagine the unspeakable. It was never that this man ceased to believe in God. No. It was rather that he came to believe terrible things of him.”
“And when I look at a history book and think of the imaginative effort it has taken to squeeze this oozing world between two boards and typeset, I am astonished. Perhaps the event has an unassailable truth. God saw it. God knows. But I am not God. And so when someone tells me what they heard or saw, I believe them, and I believe their friend who also saw, but not in the same way, and I can put these accounts together and I will not have a seamless wonder but a sandwich laced with mustard of my own.”
“That man made me feel things I never imagined could be felt. He made me want things I wasn't sure I could have. He made me need things I didn't know existed.”
“I went to him & put my Hand upon his Shoulder.Said he to me, “God forgive me. Her Name — I never knew her Name.”Which meant not a Jot to me — and yet my Heart was the Thing that broke.”
“What the author of Genesis wants to tell us, I think, is that man, when united with God, is not divided. In this unity, there is no good and evil. All of our inclinations, even the sexual ones, are good when we are in Eden -- that is, when we walk with God and all our actions, words, and thoughts seek to follow His will. But man can choose to be separate from God, and in this separateness he creates evil by imagining ways to use what is good in ways that hurt him or others, and then acting upon what he imagines.”