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The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible QUOTES

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible QUOTES

1 " My reading list grows exponentially. Every time I read a book, it'll mention three other books I feel I have to read. It's like a particularly relentless series of pop-up ads. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

2 " Unconditional love is an illogical notion, but such a great and powerful one. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

3 " Your next action could change the world, so make it a good one. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

4 " I'm Jewish in the way Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

5 " Remember, sometimes you have to look beyond the weirdness. It's like the temple in ancient Jerusalem. If you went there, you'd see oxen being slaughtered and all sorts of things. But look beyond the weirdness, to what it means. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

6 " I think there's something to the idea that the divine dwells more easily in text than in images. Text allows for more abstract thought, more of a separation between you and the physical world, more room for you and God to meet in the middle. I find it hard enough to conceive of an infinite being. Imagine if those original scrolls came in the form of a graphic novel with pictures of the Lord? I'd never come close to communing with the divine. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

7 " The year showed me beyond a doubt that everyone practices cafeteria religion... But the important lesson was this: there's nothing wrong with choosing. Cafeterias aren't bad per se... the key is in choosing the right dishes. You need to pick the nurturing ones (compassion), the healthy ones (love thy neighbor), not the bitter ones. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

8 " I found myself speaking more slowly (in an attempt to obey the Bible in speech), as if I was speaking French instead of English. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

9 " G-rated language is making me a less angry person. Behavior shapes emotion. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

10 " Each cherry took about three seconds to eat. Three seconds to eat, but at least five years in the making. It seemed unfair to the hard-working cherry tree. The least I could do was to devote my attention to the cherry in those three seconds, really appreciate the tartness of the skin and the faint crunching sound when I bite down. I guess it's called mindfulness. Or being in the moment, or making the mundane sacred. Whatever it is, I'm doing it more. Like the ridiculously extended thank-you list for my hummus, the fruit taboo made me more aware of the whole cherry process, the seed, the soil, the five years of watering and waiting. That's the paradox: I thought religion would make me live with my head in the clouds, but as often as not, it grounds me in this world. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

11 " Maybe taming my tongue will be good for me in the end. But it's pretty hard when you've got a world filled with idiots from Drunkopolis. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

12 " . . . my obsession with gratefulness. I can't stop. Just now, I press the elevator button and am thankful that it arrives quickly. I get onto the elevator and am thankful that the elevator cable didn't snap and plummet me to the basement. I go to the fifth floor and am thankful that I didn't have to stop on the second or third or fourth floor. I get out and am thankful that Julie left the door unlocked so I don't have to rummage for my King Kong key ring. I walk in, and am thankful that Jasper is home and healthy and stuffing his face with pineapple wedges. And on and on. I'm actually muttering to myself, 'Thank you. . .thank you. . . thank you.' It's an odd way to live. But also kind of great and powerful. I've never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

13 " I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness. Life is sacred. The Sabbath can be a sacred day. Prayer can be a sacred ritual. There is something transcendent, beyond the everyday. It's possible that humans created this sacredness ourselves, but that doesn't take away from its power or importance. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

14 " I am officially Jewish, but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

15 " I've rarely said the word "Lord," unless it's followed by "of the Rings. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

16 " This is what the Sabbath should feel like. A pause. Not just a minor pause, but a major pause. Not just lowering the volume, but a muting. As the famous rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel put it, the Sabbath is a sanctuary in time. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

17 " I thought religion would make me live with my head in the clouds, but as often as not, it grounds me in this world. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

18 " The whole bible is the working out of the relationship between God and man. God is not a dictator barking out orders and demanding silent obedience. Were it so, there would be no relationship at all. No real relationship goes just one way. There are always two active parties. We must have reverence and awe for God, and honor for the chain of tradition. But that doesn't mean we can't use new information to help us read the holy texts in new ways. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

19 " The Bible is right: A deluge of images does encourage idolatry. Look at the cults of personality in America today. Look at Hollywood. Look at Washington. I'd like to see the next presidential race be run according to Second Commandment principles. No commercials. A radio-only debate. We need an ugly president. I know we're missing out on some potential Abe Lincolns because they'd look gawky and gangly on TV. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

20 " I love it when the Bible gives Emily Post-like tips that are both wise and easy to follow. "

― A.J. Jacobs , The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible