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Quotes About Peace

Standing there, staring at the long shelves crammed with books, I felt myself relax and was suddenly at peace.
~ Helene Hanff
The more ideology becomes pacifistic, the more militaristic become the ideologists.
~ Helmuth Plessner
Let's drop the war.' 'It's very hard. There's no place to drop it.
~ Hemingway, Ernest
Life took on quite a special meaning in this early morning solitude.
~ Henning Mankell
His definition of friendship had been grounded on the lowest common denominator, an absence of animosity. He
~ Henning Mankell
Perhaps tranquility is what distinguishes the environment in which wealthy people live, he thought. - Kurt Wallander
~ Henning Mankell
The thought that human beings are considering saving lives by killing millions of their fellow human beings is so preposterous that the words 'saving life' have lost all of their meaning. One of the most tragic facts of our century is that this 'No' to nuclear weapons has been spoken so seldom, so softly, and by so few.
~ Henri Houwen
Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
There is within you a lamb and a lion. Spiritual maturity is the ability to let lamb and lion lie down together.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Because where God wants you to be, God holds you safe and gives you peace, even when there is pain.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
We often say, "I am not very happy. I am not content with the way my life is going. I am not really joyful or peaceful. But I don't know how things can be different, and I guess I have to be realistic and accept my life as it is." It is this mood of resignation that prevents us from actively naming our reality, articulating our experience, and moving more deeply into the life of the Spirit.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
If I were to ask about my seven months at the Abbey, Did it work, did I solve my problems? the simple answer would be, It did not work, it did not solve my problems. And I know that a year, two years, or even a lifetime as a Trappist monk would not have worked either. Because a monastery is not built to solve problems but to praise the Lord in the midst of them.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
We often live as if our happiness depended on having. But I don't know anyone who is really happy because of what he or she has. True joy, happiness, and inner peace come from the giving of ourselves to others. A happy life is a life for others. That truth, however, is usually discovered when we are confronted with our brokenness.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Joy and resentment cannot coexist.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
By inviting God into our difficulties we ground life—even its sad moments—in joy and hope. When we stop grasping our lives we can finally be given more than we could ever grab for ourselves. And we learn the way to a deeper love for others.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
God wants to bring joy not pain, peace not war, healing not suffering. Therefore, instead of declaring anything and everything to be the will of God, we must be willing to ask ourselves where in the midst of our pains and sufferings we can discern the loving presence of God.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Silence is the discipline that helps us to go beyond the entertainment quality of our lives.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
When we worry, we have our hearts in the wrong place.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
The loud, boisterous noises of the world make us deaf to the soft, gentle, and loving voice of God.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
With a friend we don't have to say or do something special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
The deep truth is that our human suffering need not be an obstacle to the joy and peace we so desire, but can become, instead, the means to it. The great secret of the spiritual life, the life of the Beloved Sons and Daughters of God, is that everything we live, be it gladness or sadness, joy or pain, health or illness, can all be part of the journey toward the full realisation of our humanity.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
We may have only a few talents, but we have many gifts. Our gifts are the many ways in which we express our humanity. They are part of who we are: friendship, kindness, patience, joy, peace, forgiveness, gentleness, love, hope, trust and many others. These are the true gifts we have to offer to each other.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
It is as if we have been wandering in a foreign land looking for peace and purpose in our lives and a true sense of who we are. Jesus stands in our midst and beckons us home so that we can be restored to our true selves.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen