Etty Hillsum

I draw prayer round me

I draw prayer round me like a dark protective wall, withdraw inside it as one might into a convent cell and then step outside again, calmer and stronger and more collected again.

The unexpected gifts that we accept with gratitude

As life becomes harder and more threatening, it also becomes richer, because the fewer expectations we have, the more good things of life become unexpected gifts that we accept with gratitude.

One moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.

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I draw prayer round me

The unexpected gifts that we accept with gratitude

One moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves

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