A home is a kingdom of it's own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life's storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
Love, in the sense of spontaneous, unreflective action, spells the death of the old man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that pure, instinctive love can radically transform an individual, leading to the end of old, unproductive ways of being.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's quote highlights the profound impact that genuine, unthinking love can have on a person. It implies that when one allows love to guide their actions without overthinking or second-guessing, it catalyzes a profound internal change, symbolically marking an end to outdated or negative characteristics ('the old man') that hinder personal growth and fulfillment.
Themes
LoveTransformationActionSpontaneitySelf-Growth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a wedding speech to illustrate the transformative power of love in relationships.
More from Dietrich Bonhoeffer
All quotes βIn normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.
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Sometimes we just need a firm kick in the pants. An unsmiling expectation that if we mean all these wonderful things we talk about and sing about, then letβs see something to prove it.
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It is God's earth out of which man is taken. From it he has his body. His body belongs to his essential being. Man's body is not his prison, his shell his exterior, but man himself. Man does not "have" a body; he does not "have" a soul; rather he "is" body and soul. Man in the beginning is really his body. He is one. He is his body, as Christ is completely his body, as the Church is the body of Christ
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
Similar quotes
Way far back in the beginning of the world was the whirlwind warning that we could all be blown away like chips and cry- Men with tired eyes realize it now, and wait to deform and decay- with maybe they have the power of love yet in their hearts just the same, I just don't know what that word means anymore- All I want is an ice cream cone
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Of all the icy blasts that blow on love, a request for money is the most chilling.
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Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, Which, to admire, we should not understand
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I love where I'm from. I love the landscape because it is so beautiful, and I also love the people of my community, the people whose stories I'm trying to tell.
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Love yourself first and everything falls into line.
Lucille BallRead