J Heinrich Arnold-Freedom from sinful thoughts.pdf

FREEDOM FROM SINFUL THOUGHTS - T H E A U T H O RThere are many aspects of Arnold’s writings that onemight consider at greater length – the overriding influenceof his father, Eberhard Arnold; of the German pastorsJohann Christoph and Christoph FriedrichBlumhardt and their vision of the kingdom as a presentreality; or of Meister Eckhardt, whose mysticism is reflectedin Arnold’s own inclination toward the mystical.There are also Dietrich von Hildebrand, Friedrich vonGagern, and Charles Baudouin, whose books he readand referred to often. All of these writers give Arnold’smessage a breadth of vision that cannot be ignored – avision that lifts our eyes from the pettiness of daily lifeto see greater realities we often ignore. To use his ownwords:What a great gift it would be if we could see a little of the greatvision of Jesus – if we could see beyond our small lives! Certainlyour view is very limited. But we can at least ask him to call usout of our small worlds and our self-centeredness, and we can atleast ask to feel the challenge of the great harvest that must begathered – the harvest of all nations and all people, includingthe generations of the future.81