Saved by Love and Forgiveness
April 9, 2015
“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however, virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.”
— Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony of American History
April 9, 2015 at 10:08 am
Rosemary, all of the quotes I’ve been saving on my computer desktop seem to come from you lately. Thank you for enriching my life!
April 9, 2015 at 6:51 pm
I’ve not thought of Niebuhr for some time. Thanks for reminding me of his work, and for this quotation.