Prayer is not a pious decoration of life but the breath of human existence.
Interpretation
Prayer is essential for understanding our humanity and existence.
In this quote, Henri Nouwen emphasizes the fundamental role of prayer in our lives, arguing that it goes beyond mere ritualistic practice. Instead, he portrays prayer as a vital essence that connects us deeply to our human experience, suggesting that it is as crucial as breath itself for our spiritual and emotional well-being.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of spirituality, one might quote Nouwen to emphasize how essential prayer is to our human experience.
The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. God loves us, not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love.
The immense joy in welcoming back the lost son hides in the immense sorrow that has gone before....our brokenness may appear beautiful, but our brokenness has no other beauty but the beauty that comes from the compassion that surrounds it.
Suffering invites us to place our hurts in larger hands. In Christ we see God suffering β for us. And calling us to share in Godβs suffering love for a hurting world. The small and even overpowering pains of our lives are intimately connected with the greater pains of Christ. Our daily sorrows are anchored in a greater sorrow and therefore a larger hope.
To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements or declarations. True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known. They are free to receive, welcome, to accept.
Waiting is a dry desert between where we are and where we want to be. (Finding My Way Home)
Becoming the beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am, in fact, thinking of, talking about and doing from hour to hour.
Some of the qualities of #β God must _x000D_ be merged into us before our _x000D_ #β prayers can be fit for His _x000D_ acceptance.
We are like horses who hurt themselves as soon as they pull on their bits - and we bow our heads. We even lose consciousness of the situation, we just submit. Any re-awakening of thought is then painful.
Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.
The very essence of instinct is that it's followed independently of reason.
One country ... one ideology, one system is not sufficient. It is helpful to have a variety of different approaches ... We can then make a joint effort to solve the problems of the whole of humankind.
I am not bound to please thee with my answer.
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