A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
Friendship exhibits a glorious "nearness by resemblance" to Heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each has of God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah's vision are crying "Holy, Holy, Holy" to one another (Isaiah VI, 3). The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall all have.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Friendship enriches our lives by reflecting shared values and experiences, akin to a communal experience of the divine.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis illustrates how friendship mirrors a heavenly connection where individuals, through their unique perceptions, contribute to a collective understanding and joy. Just as the Seraphim in Isaiah's vision celebrate their divine knowledge together, friendships allow us to share and multiply our joys and insights, enhancing our spiritual and relational fulfillment.
Themes
FriendshipConnectionCommunityShared ExperiencesSpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the value of connections, I would reference this quote to emphasize the importance of shared experiences.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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Similar quotes
Only solitary men know the full joys of friendship. Others have their family; but to a solitary and an exile, his friends are everything.
Willa CatherRead
It is somethingit can be everything-to have found a fellow bird with whom you can sit among the rafters while the drinking and boasting and reciting and fighting go on below.
Wallace StegnerRead
You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.
Bernard MeltzerRead
Where there are friends there is wealth.
PlautusRead
My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake.
AristotleRead
I dedicate the merit of the occasion to all beings. This gesture of universal friendship has been likened to a drop of fresh spring water. If we put it on a rock in the sunshine, it will soon evaporate. If we put it in the ocean, however, it will never be lost. Thus the wish is made that we not keep the teachings to ourselves but to use them to benefit others.
Pema ChodronRead