A church that doesn't provoke any crisis, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a Word of God that doesn't get under anyone's skin, what kind of gospel is that? Preachers who avoid every thorny matter so as not to be harassed do not light up the world.
A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.
Meditation is old and honorable, so why should I not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside, looking into the shining world? Because, properly attended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion. Can one be passionate about the just, the ideal, the sublime,...
At the end of your time here, the world will either be more or less kind, compassionate, generous, funny, creative, and loving because of your presence in it--and you alone get to choose. from Hope and Other Superpowers
There is a dignified nobility in humankindWe know it when we see itNurse tenderly caring for your loved one in the hospice house as she travels toward the great beyondPolitician choosing integrity, knowing full well he won't be elected againPastor remaining true to...
On taking a survey of our whole life, we see that the kindness of God has run all through it like a silver thread.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child." But shepherds don't beat their sheep with the rod. The rod is used to steer the sheep, as a support when the shepherd is tired, and as a weapon to defend the herd from harm. Sheep follow the shepherd because his kindness makes him...
Now--here is my secret: I tell it to you with an openness of heart that I doubt I shall ever achieve again so I pray that you are in a quiet room as you hear these words. My secret is that I need God--that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help...
I look around and see so much fear, people getting more and more comfortable with their hate, more at ease being mean, more united in their division. And I think, NO. Not me. I will not get lost in this fearful world. I will not play with bullies. I will continue to...
One of the most serious dangers confronting those who minister in the city is that their lives come to be built on frenzy and compulsive busyness. This usually leads to a lack of focus, a tendency to accumulate more and more things, a collapse of reflection, and the...