Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin people's lives, and you ruin your own life.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
People are not problems to be solved. They are mysteries to be explored.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes understanding and appreciating people instead of viewing them as issues requiring solutions.
Eugene H. Peterson's quote suggests that individuals should not be perceived merely as challenges or problems to be resolved. Instead, he invites us to see them as intricate beings with depth and complexity, deserving of exploration, patience, and understanding. This perspective fosters a more compassionate approach to our interactions and relationships, recognizing that each person has their own unique story and essence.
Themes
RelationshipsUnderstandingPeopleMysteriesExploration
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop about emotional intelligence, to illustrate the importance of empathy in communication.
More from Eugene H. Peterson
All quotes βWhen we sin and mess up our lives, we find that God doesn't go off and leave us- he enters into our trouble and saves us.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
If you don't take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You're doing too much, you're being too much in charge. You've got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you're not doing anything.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
Exile (being where we don't want to be with people we don't want to be with) forces a decision: Will I focus my attention on what is wrong with the world and feel sorry for myself? Or will I focus my energies on how I can live at my best in this place I find myself?...'I will do my best with what is here.'
Eugene H. PetersonRead
The Latin words humus, soil/earth, and homo, human being, have a common derivation, from which we also get our word 'humble.' This is the Genesis origin of who we are: dust - dust that the Lord God used to make us a human being. If we cultivate a lively sense of our origin and nurture a sense of continuity with it, who knows, we may also acquire humility.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
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The confusing of marriage with morality has done more to destroy the conscience of the human race than any other single error.
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