Quotes from An Echo in the Darkness

Francine Rivers ·  461 pages

Rating: (35.3K votes)


“How is it possible to hold such anger against something you don't believe in?”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Jesus has given me eternal life in Him. Let them take my life here, but God holds me in the palm of His hand and no one can take Him from me.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Tell me everything about this woman you once knew. Tell me everything she ever told you about Jesus of Nazareth."
Marcus saw the fever in his eyes. "Why?" he said, frowning. "Why does it matter?"
"Just tell me, Marcus Lucianus Valerian. Tell me everything. From the beginning. Let me decide for myself what matters."
And so Marcus did as he was asked. He gave in to his deep need to speak of Hadassah. And all the while he talked of her, he failed to see the irony in what he was doing. For as he told the story of a simple Judean slave girl, Marcus Lucianus Valerian, a Roman who didn't believe in anything, proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“We all wanted what we wanted, and when the Lord fulfilled HIS purpose rather than ours, we struck out against him. In anger. In disappointment. Yet, it is God's will that prevails.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“For as he told the story of a simple Judean slave girl. Marcus Lucianus Valerian, a Roman who didn't believe in anything, proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness



“Were you there?”
She shook her head. “No. I was here in Nain having a
child.”
“Then why do you weep as though you had part in his
crucifixion? You had no part in it.”
“I’d like nothing better than to think I would have
remained faithful. But if those closest to him—his
disciples, his own brothers—turned away, who am I to
think I’m better than they and would have done
differently? No, Marcus. We all wanted what we
wanted, and when the Lord fulfilled his purpose rather
than ours, we struck out against him. Like you. In anger.
Like you. In disappointment. Yet, it is God’s will that
prevails.”
He looked away. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“I know you don’t. I see it in your face, Marcus. You
don’t want to see. You’ve hardened your heart against
him.” She started to walk again.
“As should all who value their lives,” he said, thinking of
Hadassah’s death.
“It is God who has driven you here.”
He gave a derisive laugh. “I came here of my own
accord and for my own purposes.”
“Did you?” Marcus’ face became stony.
Deborah pressed on. “We were all created incomplete
and will find no rest until we satisfy the deepest hunger
and thirst within us. You’ve tried to satisfy it in your own
way. I see that in your eyes, too, as I’ve seen it in so
many others. And yet, though you deny it with your last
breath, your soul yearns for God, Marcus Lucianus
Valerian.”
Her words angered him. “Gods aside, Rome shows
the world that life is what man makes of it.”
“If that’s so, what are you making of yours?”
“I own a fleet of ships, as well as emporiums and
houses. I have wealth.” Yet, even as he told her, he
knew it all meant nothing. His father had come to that
realization just before he died. Vanity. It was all vanity.
Meaningless. Empty.
Old Deborah paused on the pathway. “Rome points the
way to wealth and pleasure, power and knowledge. But
Rome remains hungry. Just as you are hungry now.
Search all you will for retribution or meaning to your life,
but until you find God, you live in vain.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Only later during her prayers had it come to her how cunning Satan could be. Her love for Marcus could become a tool against her, for when her heart and mind were on Marcus, Julia lay forgotten.

Nothing must distract her from her mission here. And no one.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Leaving the group, he reclined on a couch, drank morosely, and watched people. He noticed the games they played with one another. They put on masks of civility, all while spewing their venom.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“What does the body matter if the soul is dead?”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Regret drives us to repentance, and repentance leads us to God.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness



“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 PETER 3:3-4”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“I'd rather see your honest pain than a brave front.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Past and future were out of her hands. One was finished and couldn't be undone. The other was beyond imagining.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Search all you will for retribution or meaning to your life, but until you find God, you live in vain.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“She only had this moment, and she must fulfill it worthily. Of what use was it to allow herself regret and grief, to ponder endlessly what she might have done differently?”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness



“Dwelling on the past only defeated her chances for changing the future.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Life is like a pond, and every decision and act we commit, good or bad, is a pebble flung into it. The ripples spread in widening circles.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“The appeal was so often the same: Make me comfortable so I can go on doing whatever I want to do. They wanted sin without consequences.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“None of them, not even he, seemed to realize they weren't just physical beings, that God had left a mark upon them by the simple fact of his creation. They preferred their idols, tangible, possessing, capricious characteristics like themselves, easily understood. They wanted something they could manipulate. God was inconceivable, intangible, incomprehensible, unexploitable.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Who are you to say whether she is of use? She is alive! That is statement enough.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness



“Better to have trouble with man than trouble with God.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“She has not one particle of vanity in her. She covers her scars because they disturb others. No other reason than that. People see the mark of the lion on her. They fail to see what it means.”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


“Julia was blind and deaf to to the truth. She was ignorant. Did one reprove a blind woman for inability to see? Did one become angry with the deaf for not hearing?”
― Francine Rivers, quote from An Echo in the Darkness


About the author

Francine Rivers
Born place: in The United States
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“The Transmuters had built a structure that dwarfed universes, but touched each one only lightly. They hadn’t turned whole worlds to rubble, they hadn’t reshaped galaxies in their image. Having evolved on some distant, finite world, they’d inherited the most valuable survival trait of all. Restraint.”
― Greg Egan, quote from Diaspora


“So all you want is a kiss?" I asked. A little voice in my head said I was heading for one of those slippery slopes. I told the little voice to shut up.
"Well, maybe more than one. But basically, yeah.”
― Jenna Black, quote from Glimmerglass


“She let him know how much she liked what he was doing by scoring his back with her nails and crying out with pleasure.
"Oh, God."
"Nay, lass. Connor.”
― Julie Garwood, quote from The Wedding


“When tomorrow starts without me, And I’m not there to see, If the sun should rise and find your eyes All filled with tears for me; I wish so much you wouldn’t cry The way you did today, While thinking of the many things, We didn’t get to say. I know how much you love me, As much as I love you, And each time you think of me, I know you’ll miss me too; But when tomorrow starts without me, Please try to understand, That an angel came and called my name, And took me by the hand, And said my place was ready, In heaven far above And that I’d have to leave behind All those I dearly love. But as I turned to walk away, A tear fell from my eye For all my life, I’d always thought, I didn’t want to die. I had so much to live for, So much left yet to do, It seemed almost impossible, That I was leaving you. I thought of all the yesterdays, The good ones and the bad, The thought of all the love we shared, And all the fun we had. If I could relive yesterday Just even for a while, I’d say good-bye and kiss you And maybe see you smile. But then I fully realized That this could never be, For emptiness and memories, Would take the place of me. And when I thought of worldly things I might miss come tomorrow, I thought of you, and when I did My heart was filled with sorrow. But when I walked through heaven’s gates I felt so much at home When God looked down and smiled at me, From His great golden throne, He said, “This is eternity, And all I’ve promised you. Today your life on earth is past But here it starts anew. I promise no tomorrow, But today will always last, And since each day’s the same way, There’s no longing for the past. You have been so faithful, So trusting and so true. Though there were times You did some things You knew you shouldn’t do. But you have been forgiven And now at last you’re free. So won’t you come and take my hand And share my life with me?” So when tomorrow starts without me, Don’t think we’re far apart, For every time you think of me, I’m right here, in your heart.”
― Eben Alexander, quote from Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife


“A veces uno cree saber cosas sin saber por qué.”
― Matthew Dicks, quote from Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend


Interesting books

La Divina Comedia
(93.8K)
La Divina Comedia
by Dante Alighieri
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
(5.3K)
The Inner Game of Te...
by W. Timothy Gallwey
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
(5.3K)
Peak: Secrets from t...
by K. Anders Ericsson
Seven Sons of Zion
(69)
Seven Sons of Zion
by Lucian Bane
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England
(2.3K)
After the Blue Hour
(79)
After the Blue Hour
by John Rechy

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.