None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
The words which express our faith and piety are not definite; yet they are significant and fragrant like frankincense to superior natures.
Interpretation
Words about faith and belief may lack precision, but they carry deep significance and beauty.
Henry David Thoreau suggests that while the language used to describe our faith and spirituality may not be exact or clear-cut, it holds great importance and can be perceived as beautiful, much like the fragrant qualities of frankincense that appeal to those with elevated sensibilities. This reflects the idea that the emotional and spiritual resonance of words can transcend their literal meanings.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of spirituality, one might use this quote to highlight the deep meaning behind our expressions of faith.
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
That grand old poem called Winter
The purpose of soul questions is to open yourself deeper and deeper until all that is left is the power and beauty you are bringing to the lives of others.
If you are leaving that sorrowful place with hate and anger against men, you are worthy of compassion; if you leave it with good will, gentleness and peace, you are better than any of us.
Once you let people know anything about what you think, that's it, you're dead. Then they'll be jumping about in your mind, taking things out, holding them up to the light and killing them, yes, killing them, because thoughts are supposed to stay and grow in quiet, dark places, like butterflies in cocoons.
History is always best written generations after the event, when clouded fact and memory have all fused into what can be accepted as truth, whether it be so or not.
The first holy truth in God 101 is that men and women of true faith have always had to accept the mystery of God's identity and love and ways. I hate that, but it's the truth.
Someday, the realm of liberty and justice will encompass the planet. Freedom is not just the birthright of the few, it is the God-given right of all His children, in every country. It won't come by conquest. It will come, because freedom is right and freedom works. It will come, because cooperation and good will among free people will carry the day.
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