"Quotes"

Quotes have often been the source of chatter. Sprawled in media to coffee shop talk, our culture lives for those little punctuation marks. While I would like to hope it's to glean goodness and points of reflection, that remains in question. Often times the wildfire of words we hear more about is spread purposed to the obliteration of an image or the speculation of one's character. More time spent on self. More time judging. More time comparing identity. A perpetual cycle of image idolatry and consumption of humanity. It's unfortunate, especially when so many wonderful quotes exist.

Simple phrases that can enrich our lives... those that enlighten; those that uplift the hopeless and encourage the defeated; those chanting us to the finish line of what race has been set before us; those that prop us with strength and power when when opposition fights our success... these are my pursuit.

Quotes can truly be personal. However, the trend of spurning a phrase because of instantaneous disagreement does not mean it cannot be a useful reflection tool or used to gain perspective on the lens others (reached, unreached and/or potentially reached) view the world in which we live. Does this mean let garbage into your mind? Does this mean disregard any form of guarding your thoughts or filtering what you allow to take hold in your mind? Absolutely not, but rather approaching such comments with caution.... taking in or tossing aside.

All of this comes up as I ponder quotes from time to time - thinking through various interpretations and deciphering the "weightiness," if you will. May it or may it not hold insight?Relative to my life is not the key factor. Is it relative to life in general? to others? to pursuing life in community?

Here are a few quotes. Like them, dislike them, find them useful, find them relative... that's an individual perspective. As for me, I am still processing...

"I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it."

--Maya Angelou

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

--Mother Teresa

"Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one."

--Nicholas Berdyaev

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without heart."

--John Bunyan

"Some minds are like concrete - thoroughly mixed up and permanently set."

--Anonymous

"I have learned that sometimes the things we want to forget are the things which we most need to talk about..."

--Alli Newton