The stories let you in on a wonderful secret: We are not only invited guests but the blushing Bride. And our Groom is a heroic King, a mighty warrior who is good and just and stunning in His beauty. He is so full of passion and blazing emotion that He burns—and yes, smokes in the ferocity of His infinite, holy love that compelled Him to give it all away for His Bride. And He who gave it all for us is worth giving ourselves completely to. We exist not to believe, and not even so much to follow, but to love. And as Luther says somewhere, love God with all your heart and do what you will.
~ Timothy J. Stoner; The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith
