You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night…
““You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words “compelle intrare,” compel them to come in, have been so abused be wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Divine mercy compels even the most reluctant souls toward redemption, showing that God’s hardness is kinder than human softness.
In simple terms: God’s love forces even the unwilling toward salvation.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility and divine compassion.
Themes
faith
redemption
humility
Mood
contemplative
spiritual
Type
theological
literary
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- spiritual awakening
- confession
Key Concepts
theology
spirituality
grace
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true humility look like in faith?
- How does divine mercy differ from human kindness?
A Different Perspective
Some may view compulsion as coercive rather than loving.