Love measures our stature: the more we love, the bigger we are.
William Sloane CoffinRead
Charity is only a waystation on the road to justice.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Charity serves as a temporary aid, not a substitute for achieving true justice.
This quote reflects the idea that while charitable actions are noble and can provide immediate relief to those in need, they should not be seen as a solution to systemic issues of injustice. True justice involves addressing the root causes and changing the structures that perpetuate inequality, rather than merely providing short-term aid.
Themes
CharityJusticeAidPhilosophySystemic Change
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social reform, one might quote this to emphasize the need for systemic justice.
More from William Sloane Coffin
All quotes βTo show compassion for an individual without showing concern for the structures of society that make him an object of compassion is to be sentimental rather than loving.
William Sloane CoffinRead
Fear destroys intimacy. It distances us from each other; or makes us cling to each other, which is the death of freedom.... Only love can create intimacy, and freedom too, for when all hearts are one, nothing else has to be one--neither clothes nor age; neither sex nor sexual preference; race nor mind-set.
William Sloane CoffinRead
Only reverence can restrain violence - reverence for human life and the environment.
William Sloane CoffinRead
Love measures our stature: the more we love, the bigger we are. There is no smaller package in all the world than that of a man all wrapped up in himself.
William Sloane CoffinRead
It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.
William Sloane CoffinRead
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