The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young.
Phillips BrooksRead
To believe in the God over us and around us and not in the God within us - that would be a powerless and fruitless faith.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Faith should encompass both an external deity and an internal spiritual presence.
Phillips Brooks suggests that true faith must recognize the divine both beyond and within oneself. If one only believes in a God that exists outside, without acknowledging the spiritual essence within, such faith lacks power and depth, rendering it ultimately ineffective in guiding one's life and understanding of spirituality.
Themes
FaithSpiritualityBeliefDivineSelf
In practice
Example use cases
During a spiritual retreat, this quote can be used to inspire self-reflection on oneβs inner belief.
More from Phillips Brooks
All quotes βWe never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.
Phillips BrooksRead
The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.
Phillips BrooksRead
To say, 'well done' to any bit of good work is to take hold of the powers which have made the effort and strengthen them beyond our knowledge.
Phillips BrooksRead
Think of life as a voyage. The truest liver of the truest life is like a voyager who, as he sails, is not indifferent to all the beauty of the sea around him.
Phillips BrooksRead
It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything.
Phillips BrooksRead
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