photo by Thomas Haines
The most celebrated of all of Daniel De Foe’s works is The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, which appeared in 1719. Along with its reflections on morals and affections toward God, possibly its greatest contribution is that it is a fictional tale about a non-fictional truth: that adventure is intrinsically valuable because it teaches people that they are capable of overcoming even the most difficult of circumstances.
Sharing adventure quotes in the context of a wilderness journey or adventure therapy is a great way to help others connect what they are learning and experiencing in the outdoors with everyday life back at home. I’ve listed a few categories that could be used as themes for a Bible study or group discussion. And after each thematic heading are a few classic adventure quotes from The Life & Adventures of Robinson Crusoe that could be great conversation starters:
The Inner Conflict Between Shame and Grace
I have since often observed, how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is, especially of youth, to that reason which out to guide them in such cases, viz, that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent; nor ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise men.
God Cannot be Mocked: God Works Good Through All Circumstances
All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them, and with what worse attended them.
Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony, that there was scarce any condition in the world so miserable, but there was something negative or something positive to be thankful for in it; and let this stand as a direction from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this word, that we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves from, and to set in the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the account.
Thus we never see the true state of our condition, till it is illustrated to us by its contraries; nor know how to value what we enjoy, but by the want of it.
The Source of Discontentment is Ingratitude for What We Have
…discontent about what we want, appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.
I learnt here again to observe, that it is very rare that the providence of God casts us into any condition of life so low or any misery so great but we may see something or other to be thankful for, and may see others in worse circumstances than our own.
Why Risk-taking is Good (Click here to link to other blogs on this theme) | Risk-taking Teaches us to Look Danger in the Face and Become “Anxious for Nothing”
Thus fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself, when apparent to the eyes; and, we find the burden of anxiety greater by much than the evil which we are anxious about….
