“At the cross, Jesus subjects himself to disability, and his resurrected body continues to bear his scars as a sign of God's solidarity with humanity.”

“Remember Jesus of Nazareth, staggering on broken feet out of the tomb toward the Resurrection, bearing on his body the proud insignia of the defeat which is victory, the magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God.”

“Raphael came through the door like a child's nightmare, his eyes glowing an almost solid silver with wrath, his gleaming fangs fully extended, blood painting his mouth a brilliant red, dripping from his chin to shine wetly against the tattered remains of his black shirt. His huge chest was heaving with the fury of his breath, and his hands curled into claws as his gaze found her and he growled a warning. 'Release her, human.''Who are you? the man rasped, fear taking away his breath, coarsening his voice.'Release her.'The man tightened his grip, 'Come closer and she dies.'Rachael's mouth widened in a terrifying smile, 'You think to bargain with me?”

“Your truth may not look like mine, but that is not what matters. What matters is this: You can look at a scar and see hurt, or you can look at a scar and see healing.”

“The moment a man buries the God of his ancestors, the God preached to him but not experienced by him, is life-changing. Blessed are the fortunate few who can stride away from the gravesite of their ancestral divinity resurrected into their own complete humanity.”

“I think the deeper we go, the less likelihood we'll have of being recognised as something unwanted. It's like the human body - the greatest density of pain receptors lies in the skin.”

“What was a surprise was when the dog answered his question. 'Want to play ball now,' Gabriel [the dog] declared in a very clear and precise voice. Aaron opened his eyes and gazed up into the grinning face of the animal. There was no doubt now. The day's descent into madness was complete. He was, in fact, losing his mind.”