“Sometimes we like a book, sometimes we prefer music. Sometimes we want to sing out with hundreds, sometimes only whisper with a few. Sometimes we want to say it with words, sometimes with a deep silence.”
With Open Hands (1972)
Context: Only within this kind of life does a spoken prayer make sense. A prayer in church, at table or in school is only a witness to what we want to make of our entire lives. Such a prayer reminds us that praying is living and it invites us to make this an ever-greater reality. Thus, there are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life. Sometimes we seek out a quiet spot and want to be alone, sometimes we look for a friend and want to be together. Sometimes we like a book, sometimes we prefer music. Sometimes we want to sing out with hundreds, sometimes only whisper with a few. Sometimes we want to say it with words, sometimes with a deep silence.
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Henri Nouwen 23
Dutch priest and writer 1932–1996Related quotes
“Sometimes what we want isn't what we need.”
Source: The Darkest Night
“Sometimes we want what we want even if we know it’s going to kill us.”
Source: The Goldfinch
Variant: Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not. Time takes it all, time bears it away, and in the end there is only darkness. Sometimes we find others in that darkness, and sometimes we lose them there again.
Source: The Green Mile
“Sometimes things become possible if we want them bad enough.”
Introduction
Whose Word Is It?: The Story Behind Who Changed the New Testament and Why (2006)
“But it's funny how the memory works and how sometimes we just belive whatever we want.”
Source: Secrets of Eden