When we fail we are merely joining the great parade of humanity that has walked ahead of us and will follow after us.

every time God forgives us, God is saying that God's own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.

The cross solved our problem by first revealing our real problem, our universal pattern of scapegoating and sacrificing others. The cross exposes forever the scene of our crime.

Those who are not true leaders will just affirm people at their own immature level.

The ego hates losing – even to God.

People who know how to creatively break the rules also know why the rules were there in the first place.

Much of the work of midlife is to tell the difference between those who are dealing with their issues through you and those who are really dealing with you.

Denial of our pattern of failure seems to be a kind of practical atheism or chosen ignorance among many believers and clergy.

I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona.

Sin happens whenever we refuse to keep growing.

Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.

I knew that (job) had to be a humbling role for my dad, but he never allowed it to become humiliating work.

Truth is strong, and sometime or other will prevail.

The most distinguished hallmark of the American society is and always has been change.

I'm a drinker with a writing problem.

I know you will guess all I leave unsaid.

Letters are something from you. It's a different kind of intention than writing an e-mail.

I don't like jeans with holes in 'em. I like 'em faded.

Freedom' is the most expensive possession there is; it has to be paid for with loneliness.

I had a really kind of yucky divorce and it was really challenging to get over that.

Humility is also a healing virtue; it will cicatrize a thousand wounds, which pride would keep forever open.