To confess your sins to God is not to tell [God] anything [God] doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the bridge.
Frederick BuechnerRead
Justice is the grammar of things. Mercy is the poetry of things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Justice provides the structure and order of society, while mercy adds a compassionate and human element to it.
In this quote by Frederick Buechner, the distinction between justice and mercy is drawn using the analogy of grammar and poetry. Justice is likened to grammar, which organizes and constrains, ensuring that society functions correctly and fairly, while mercy is compared to poetry, which introduces beauty, imagination, and compassion into human interactions. Together, they represent the balance needed in life, suggesting that while rules and justice are essential, the humane and creative aspects of mercy are equally important for a just society.
Themes
JusticeMercySocietyBalanceCompassion
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social justice reforms, one could use this quote to emphasize the need for a compassionate approach in legal systems.
More from Frederick Buechner
All quotes βBy and large a good rule for finding out is this: the kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work a) that you need most to do and b) the world most needs to have done. If you really get a kick out of your work, you've presumably met requirement a), but if your work is writing TV deodorant commercials, the chances are you've missed requirement b).
Frederick BuechnerRead
When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.
Frederick BuechnerRead
We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. This seems to be close to the heart of that mystery. I know no more now than I ever did about the far side of death as the last letting-go of all, but now I know that I do not need to know, and that I do not need to be afraid of not knowing. God knows. That is all that matters.
Frederick BuechnerRead
To be wise is to be eternally curious.
Frederick BuechnerRead
if you don't have doubts you're either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.
Frederick BuechnerRead
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