Front lines Quotes

“Those who had fought for what they called the revolution maintained a great pride: the pride of being on the correct side of the front lines. Ten or twelve years later (around the time of our story) the front lines began to melt away, and with them the correct side. No wonder the former supporters of the revolution feel cheated and are quick to seek substitute fronts; thanks to religion they can (in their role as atheists struggling against believers) stand again on the correct side and retain their habitual and precious sense of their own superiority.But to tell the truth, the substitute front was also useful to others, and it will perhaps not be too premature to disclose that Alice was one of them. Just as the directress wanted to be on the correct side, Alice wanted to be on the opposite side. During the revolution they had nationalized her papa's shop, and Alice hated those who had done this to him. But how should she show her hatred? Perhaps by taking a knife and avenging her father? But this sort of thing is not the custom in Bohemia. Alice had a better means for expressing her opposition: she began to believe in God.”

“Those who had fought for what they called the revolution maintained a great pride: the pride of being on the correct side of the front lines. Ten or twelve years later (around the time of our story) the front lines began to melt away, and with them the correct side. No wonder the former supporters of the revolution feel cheated and are quick to seek substitute fronts; thanks to religion they can (in their role as atheists struggling against believers) stand again on the correct side and retain their habitual and precious sense of their own superiority.But to tell the truth, the substitute front was also useful to others, and it will perhaps not be too premature to disclose that Alice was one of them. Just as the directress wanted to be on the correct side, Alice wanted to be on the opposite side. During the revolution they had nationalized her papa's shop, and Alice hated those who had done this to him. But how should she show her hatred? Perhaps by taking a knife and avenging her father? But this sort of thing is not the custom in Bohemia. Alice had a better means for expressing her opposition: she began to believe in God.”

“This is a hard chapter for me to write. I am as uninvolved in biblical citizenship as other Christians. Involvement means front-line duty. Front-line duty means you get shot at. When it comes to getting shot at, I am your basic, Christian coward. I don't like to fight. I don't like to get hit. I don't like to get hurt. I know that as long as I am uninformed and uninvolved, I am safe. I don't have to suffer. Then I read 1 Peter. It tells me that a Spirit-filled, Word-orientated saint will be on the front lines, doing what is right, and suffering. It is hard for me to read and think and discuss in the realm of politics. There are other things I would rather do. It is hard for me to take a firm, intelligent stand on a political issue. It is even harder for me to make it public, and defend it, and have it criticized and ridiculed. In the area of government my comfort zone is way behind the front lines. How about yours? Maybe what we both need to do is volunteer for some front line duty while we are still allowed to carry weapons.”

“Can't be on the front lines fighting a war with the weapons given to you by the enemy.”

“As managers rise up the hierarchy, a host of situational forces come to bear on them which can easily undermine their respect for the people on the front lines, and hence cause them to disregard the value in front-line ideas.”

“Librarians are on the front lines of an invisible struggle over our information diet and, for better or worse, the scales are not tipping in their direction.”

“Your current situation and workplace are your personal mission field. Why? Because you can reach people a church can't. You're on the front lines!”

“The seemingly most hateful, those on the front lines of despair, are mere instruments of sinister forces, which pull the manipulative strings of manufactured supremacy.”

“It is exactly because we are a city that embraces freedom, that welcomes everyone and encourages their dreams, that New York remains on the front lines in the war on terror.”

“Interesting fact from the front lines: raw grief smells like ripped leaves and splintered branches, a jagged green shriek.”

“Ironically, it is exactly because we are a city that embraces freedom, that welcomes everyone and encourages their dreams, that New York remains on the front lines in the war on terror.”