--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been low moments before, but…" description: "\"There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg" --- # There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an… ![“There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ecological niches, yet preserving intact its story of grace, of love improbably triumphant.” quote by Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg) > “There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ecological niches, yet preserving intact its story of grace, of love improbably triumphant.” [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christianity persists by reshaping its practices to fit changing cultures while keeping its core narrative of grace and love. **In simple terms:** Adaptable faith preserving core story Key Takeaway Faith evolves without losing essence Themes adaptation resilience cultural integration theology identity Mood hopeful reflective inspired Type observational analytical philosophical When to use this quote - missionary work - interfaith dialogue - cultural shifts - social justice movements - personal crises Key Concepts grace love mutation ecological niches Practical Applications - religious education - community building Questions to Reflect On - How does adaptability affect religious authenticity? - What tensions arise when core narratives stay static amid change? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adaptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adaptable/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Different parts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-parts/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Nature of Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-beauty/) [Preserving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserving/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Triumphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumphant/) ## Related quotes > [Acquiring a repertoire in these days, when the vocal literature is so immense, so overwhelming, that the student with sense will devote all his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-gluck/acquiring-a-repertoire-in-these-days-when-the-vocal-literature-is-so/) [Alma Gluck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-gluck/) > [The Ruy Lopez occupied a constant place in my opening repertoire. In it is reflected the classical interpretation of the problem of the centre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-smyslov/the-ruy-lopez-occupied-a-constant-place-in-my-opening-repertoire-in/) [Vasily Smyslov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-smyslov/) > [As a disciple of my father's, I was certain I wanted to include one of his own raga creations on 'Home', as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/as-a-disciple-of-my-father-s-i-was-certain-i-wanted-to-include-one-of/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [If you are playing repertoire material, you're stuck. There's not huge amounts you can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fripp/if-you-are-playing-repertoire-material-you-re-stuck-there-s-not-huge/) [Robert Fripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fripp/) > [Hats, giant shades and 60-plus sunblock are part of my summer repertoire. I don't want wrinkles, but it's skin cancer I truly fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/hats-giant-shades-and-60-plus-sunblock-are-part-of-my-summer/) [Janine di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/) > [Duke Ellington's career traces the entire history of jazz. The repertoire associated with him contains the most important elements in the music and provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-taylor/duke-ellington-s-career-traces-the-entire-history-of-jazz-the/) Billy Taylor > [I think it's important to widen my artistic repertoire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/son-ye-jin/i-think-it-s-important-to-widen-my-artistic-repertoire/) [Son Ye-jin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/son-ye-jin/) > [When the truth is that there would be no great Western music, and certainly no decent choral repertoire, without the Catholic faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-morris/when-the-truth-is-that-there-would-be-no-great-western-music-and/) [Richard Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-morris/) > [Even if you're playing the most well-known repertoire under the sun, I still believe you have a responsibility as an artist to tell the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/even-if-you-re-playing-the-most-well-known-repertoire-under-the-sun-i/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [I have never actually abandoned singing. I have sung at lots of friends' weddings and family events to keep up my classical repertoire, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-armstrong/i-have-never-actually-abandoned-singing-i-have-sung-at-lots-of/) [Alexander Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-armstrong/) > [The nice thing about the violin repertoire is that it's small enough that you can plan on learning everything at some point - whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-hahn/the-nice-thing-about-the-violin-repertoire-is-that-it-s-small-enough/) [Hilary Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-hahn/) > [I take a lot of favorite moves from great players and add them to my repertoire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-carter/i-take-a-lot-of-favorite-moves-from-great-players-and-add-them-to-my/) [Vince Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-carter/) > [I really enjoy getting to go and play on other people's shows for an episode or two. It adds such variety to my repertoire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-zea/i-really-enjoy-getting-to-go-and-play-on-other-people-s-shows-for-an/) [Natalie Zea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-zea/) > [If I can do concert recitals, adapting the repertoire to my needs, then no problem, that's good enough. But with operas, unless the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/if-i-can-do-concert-recitals-adapting-the-repertoire-to-my-needs-then/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [I have a huge repertoire. I love karaoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-have-a-huge-repertoire-i-love-karaoke/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) ## More by Francis Spufford > [If your memory was OK you could descend upon on a bookshop – a big enough one so that the staff wouldn’t hassle a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/if-your-memory-was-ok-you-could-descend-upon-on-a-bookshop-a-big/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“Beyond the breakwater you can no longer touch bottom, but you are not afraid, for in this sea the harder you swim the stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/beyond-the-breakwater-you-can-no-longer-touch-bottom-but-you-are-not/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Self-awareness is not the same thing as self-approval, any more than imagination is the same thing as day-dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/self-awareness-is-not-the-same-thing-as-self-approval-any-more-than/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [What follows is more about books than it is about me, but nonetheless it is my inward autobiography, for the words we take into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/what-follows-is-more-about-books-than-it-is-about-me-but-nonetheless/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Despite the best efforts of apologists like William Lane Craig, the 'evidence' for Christianity's truth is, in truth, not the kind that science will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/despite-the-best-efforts-of-apologists-like-william-lane-craig-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“You do not chuse where You bestow your Heart. Your Heart bestows Itself, will-you-nill-you, in the Midst of other Business. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-do-not-chuse-where-you-bestow-your-heart-your-heart-bestows/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Anyone can be self-educated if they find the loose end of something to care about passionately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/anyone-can-be-self-educated-if-they-find-the-loose-end-of-something/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [You never came out the way you came in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-never-came-out-the-way-you-came-in/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [For a believer, Christian faith is true to the human heart, not in the sense that any old thing we fancy believing in will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/for-a-believer-christian-faith-is-true-to-the-human-heart-not-in-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [When I'm tired and therefore indecisive, it can take half an hour to choose the book I am going to have with me while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/when-i-m-tired-and-therefore-indecisive-it-can-take-half-an-hour-to/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“...what goes on inside believers is mysterious. So far as it can be guessed at - if for some reason you wanted to guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/what-goes-on-inside-believers-is-mysterious-so-far-as-it-can-be/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [I can always tell when you're reading somewhere in the house,' my mother used to say. 'There's a special silence, a reading silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/i-can-always-tell-when-you-re-reading-somewhere-in-the-house-my/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [I think I have made allowances for the kind of despair which would test my faith, but you cannot know in advance what disaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/i-think-i-have-made-allowances-for-the-kind-of-despair-which-would/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [You don't have to become an investment banker as a way of demonstrating that education has worked for you. But librarians have to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-don-t-have-to-become-an-investment-banker-as-a-way-of/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [It's true that when Christianity is socially powerful, faith can look from the outside as if it is mainly a matter of membership, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/it-s-true-that-when-christianity-is-socially-powerful-faith-can-look/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) [Explore all 54 Francis Spufford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) ## More Adaptable quotes > [Individuals, too, who cultivate a variety of skills seem brighter, more energetic and more adaptable than those who know how to do one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/individuals-too-who-cultivate-a-variety-of-skills-seem-brighter-more/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [We can never be certain about the future and therefore we must continue to be flexible and adaptable so that we can react quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-abu-ghazaleh/we-can-never-be-certain-about-the-future-and-therefore-we-must/) [Talal Abu-Ghazaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-abu-ghazaleh/) > [“It is not the strongest animal that survives, nor the fastest, but the one most adaptable to change. —Leon C. Megginson, paraphrasing Charles Darwin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-falk/it-is-not-the-strongest-animal-that-survives-nor-the-fastest-but-the/) Ben Falk > [An adaptable company is one that captures more than its fair share of new opportunities. It's always redefining its 'core business' in ways that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/an-adaptable-company-is-one-that-captures-more-than-its-fair-share-of/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [I'm very adaptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-beal/i-m-very-adaptable/) [Bradley Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-beal/) > [Of course, Minneapolis, we think, 'Oh well, it's cold there, lethally cold.' But the reality is you adapt to weather... Humans are consummately adaptable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/of-course-minneapolis-we-think-oh-well-it-s-cold-there-lethally-cold/) [Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/) > [I'm a third-culture child. It's an interesting concept. Having an American father, a South American mother, born in England, grew up in Hong Kong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-chantal-claire/i-m-a-third-culture-child-it-s-an-interesting-concept-having-an/) Marie-Chantal Claire > [The making of adaptable, curious, open, questioning people has nothing to do with vocational training and everything to do with humanistic and scientific studies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-making-of-adaptable-curious-open-questioning-people-has-nothing/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/do-you-have-a-kinder-more-adaptable-friend-in-the-food-world-than/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Flow. Be adaptable. Be sensitive like water, feel the other so you can attune and harmonize with your partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-friend/flow-be-adaptable-be-sensitive-like-water-feel-the-other-so-you-can/) [John Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-friend/) > [Do you think that you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear. Integral awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/do-you-think-that-you-can-clear-your-mind-by-sitting-constantly-in/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [To survive, to avert what we have termed future shock, the individual must become infinitely more adaptable and capable than ever before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/to-survive-to-avert-what-we-have-termed-future-shock-the-individual/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [The brain is a dynamic system that constantly processes and creates your reality. It works best if you balance all the things that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-brain-is-a-dynamic-system-that-constantly-processes-and-creates/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“I don’t believe that my particular body structure is easily adaptable to that type of device,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy-toole/i-don-t-believe-that-my-particular-body-structure-is-easily-adaptable/) [John Kennedy Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy-toole/) [Browse all 112 Adaptable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adaptable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ecological niches, yet preserving intact its story of grace, of love improbably triumphant.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Spufford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adaptable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/francis-spufford-12650_adaptable_there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-c_72141.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different…” — Francis Spufford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francis Spufford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There have been low moments before,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```