Atonement theories are not the gospel. Across the New Testament, while metaphors do appear to hint at the “how” of atonement, the emphasis is not on these symbolic explanations, but on the story itself. Preaching the gospel never meant theorizing how atonement happens but, rather, proclaiming good news: the events and impacts of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
— Bradley Jersak, A More Christlike God, p. 230
[Photo: Meadowlark Gardens, Virginia, April 3, 2012]