--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no way to have a real…" description: "\"There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile. God became s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg" --- # There is no way to have a real relationship without… ![“There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile. God became someone we could hurt. Why? To get us back... No other religion-whethe r secularism, Greco-Roman paganism, Eastern religion, Judaism, or…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg) > “There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile. God became someone we could hurt. Why? To get us back... No other religion-whethe r secularism, Greco-Roman paganism, Eastern religion, Judaism, or Islam-believes God became breakable or suffered or had a body.” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God's vulnerability in Christian narrative offers a model of relational intimacy, unlike other traditions that keep divinity distant **In simple terms:** God became relatable through suffering Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability as a path to deeper connection Themes theology vulnerability relationality Mood thoughtful serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal counseling - faith discussions - spiritual formation Key Concepts incarnation sacrifice human-divine relationship Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect personal faith? - What challenges arise when comparing religious doctrines? A Different Perspective Not all believers accept the concept of a vulnerable deity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-in-god/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Eastern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eastern/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Fragile God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile-god-1974162/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-christmas-1974160/) [Hurt Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-religion-1974159/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Paganism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paganism/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-relationship/) [Relationship Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-vulnerable-1974161/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Secularism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secularism/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) [Vulnerable Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable-hurt-1574741/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Vulnerability is allowing people to see you exactly as you are, which is really hard, because when you’re vulnerable you can get hurt. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/vulnerability-is-allowing-people-to-see-you-exactly-as-you-are-which/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [You should never forget that someone who caused you pain because once you do, you make yourself vulnerable once again of being hurt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanum/you-should-never-forget-that-someone-who-caused-you-pain-because-once/) [Vanum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanum/) > [Being crazy in love, will have you vulnerable and you will get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-crazy-in-love-will-have-you-vulnerable-and-you-will-get-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Arm in arm, we left her room, the beginnings of a real relationship shimmering in the air between us, just like the bright pink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/arm-in-arm-we-left-her-room-the-beginnings-of-a-real-relationship/) [jennifer estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [I went through a phase when I was 13 where I would only fall in love with people over the age of 19 or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-went-through-a-phase-when-i-was-13-where-i-would-only-fall-in-love/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [A real relationship has fights, has trust, has faith, has tears, has hurt, has sweet smiles, has genuine laughter, has weird, stupid, unnecessary arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/a-real-relationship-has-fights-has-trust-has-faith-has-tears-has-hurt/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I think what 'Shameless' does well is highlight real relationships. And in any real relationship, there are ups and downs and elements that change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanola-hampton/i-think-what-shameless-does-well-is-highlight-real-relationships-and/) [Shanola Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanola-hampton/) > [“I want a real relationship, one without intimacy issues; without trust issues, but with all my emotional baggage, I don't know if that's possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-dominguez/i-want-a-real-relationship-one-without-intimacy-issues-without-trust/) [Ella Dominguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-dominguez/) > [And across Afghanistan, every single day, Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and ISAF troops are serving shoulder-to-shoulder in some very difficult situations. And our engagement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/and-across-afghanistan-every-single-day-afghan-soldiers-afghan-police/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [Everybody say they want a real relationship, but they always give the wrong person, the right chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-say-they-want-a-real-relationship-but-they-always-give-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They stood in silence for a few moments with Ryan watching him carefully. He was fiddling with his t-shirt and scuffing his sneaker against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/they-stood-in-silence-for-a-few-moments-with-ryan-watching-him/) [Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/) > [I think as humans we do want to control our relationships, and you can't. It's probably better that you can't. That wouldn't be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-paul/i-think-as-humans-we-do-want-to-control-our-relationships-and-you-can/) [Caroline Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-paul/) > [Social media provides us the opportunity to think before we 'speak', giving us a better shot at reasoned dialog. So it's not a huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-biedermann/social-media-provides-us-the-opportunity-to-think-before-we-speak/) [Paul Biedermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-biedermann/) > [I want a real relationship; not a facebook one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-a-real-relationship-not-a-facebook-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easier to greenlight your own films when you're not surrounded by other people aspiring to make films. You have to work a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-porterfield/it-s-easier-to-greenlight-your-own-films-when-you-re-not-surrounded/) [Matthew Porterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-porterfield/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/) [Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) [Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile. God became someone we could hurt. Why? To get us back... No other religion-whethe r secularism, Greco-Roman paganism, Eastern religion, Judaism, or Islam-believes God became breakable or suffered or had a body.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relationship-without-becoming/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Becoming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relationship-without-becoming/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/timothy-keller-240_becoming_there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relations_2604381.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God…” — Timothy Keller", "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": "Timothy Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no way to have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relationship-without-becoming/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/there-is-no-way-to-have-a-real-relationship-without-becoming/#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 } } ] } ```