For The Nearer The Soul Approaches Him, The Blacker Is The Darkness Which It Feels And The Deeper Is

“For the nearer the soul approaches Him, the blacker is the darkness which it feels and the deeper is the obscurity which comes through its weakness; just as, the nearer a man approaches the sun, the greater are the darkness and the affliction caused him through the great splendour of the sun and through the weakness and impurity of his eyes. In the same way, so immense is the spiritual light of God, and so greatly does it transcend our natural understanding , that the nearer we approach it, the more it blinds and darkens us.”

— St. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul (via existential-saint)

“…people like Jesus and Paul were not executed for saying, “Love one another.” They were killed because their understanding of love meant more than being compassionate towards individuals, although it did include that. It also meant standing against the domination systems that rule their world, and collaborating with the Spirit in the creation of a new way of life that stood in contrast to the normalcy of the wisdom of this world. Love and justice go together. Justice without love can be brutal and love without justice can be banal. Love is the heart of justice and justice is the social form of love.”

— Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church’s Conservative Icon (p.205)

"redemption arcs are toxic, you shouldn't try to fix someone!"

actually it is so important to me that being in community and experiencing human connection can save people. thanks

Charles M. Schulz:  The Original

Arabic Madonna and Child (The Child sleeping in the desert) by Albert Aublet, 1898.

source

*makes a minor mistake in speech or writing* Haha sorry i havent slept in 150 hours and im on experimental drugs given to me by an insane person with frazzled white hair