When the possessions and households of citizens are no longer honored by the acts, as well as the principles, of their government, then the concentration camp ceases to be one of the possibilities of human nature and becomes one of its likelihoods. Wendell Berry More Quotes by Wendell Berry More Quotes From Wendell Berry Individualism is going around these days in uniform, handing out the party line on individualism. Wendell Berry uniforms lines party Our obsession with security is a measure of the power we have granted the future to hold over us. Wendell Berry granted future obsession There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things. Wendell Berry woven together heart Professional standards, the standards of ambition and selfishness, are always sliding downward toward expense, ostentation, and mediocrity. They tend always to narrow the ground of judgment. But amateur standards, the standards of love, are always straining upward toward the humble and the best. They enlarge the ground of judgment. The context of love is the world. Wendell Berry ambition humble life People need to feed themselves, next they need to feed their own communities. Wendell Berry community people needs One cannot be aware both of the history of Christian war and of the contents of the gospels without feeling that something is amiss. Wendell Berry christian feelings war The Christian gospel is a summons to peace, calling for justice beyond anger, mercy beyond justice, forgiveness beyond mercy, love beyond forgiveness. Wendell Berry calling christian justice Perhaps it is to prepare to hear some day the music of the spheres that I am always turning my ears to the music of streams. There is indeed a music in streams, but it is not for the hurried. It has to be loitered by and imagined. Or imagined toward, for it is hardly for men at all. Nature has a patient ear. To her the slowest funeral march sounds like a jig. She is satisfied to have the notes drawn out to the lengths of days or weeks or months. Small variations are acceptable to her, modulations as leisurely as the opening of a flower. Wendell Berry funeral flower men This, I thought, is what is meant by 'thy will be done' in the Lord's Prayer, which I had prayed time and again without thinking about it. It means that your will and God's will may not be the same. It means there's a good possibility that you won't get what you pray for. It means that in spite of your prayers you are going to suffer. Wendell Berry prayer mean thinking The Captains of Industry have always counseled the rest of us "to be realistic." Let us, therefore, be realistic. Is it realistic to assume that the present economy would be just fine if only it would stop poisoning the air and water, or if only it would stop soil erosion, or if only it would stop degrading watersheds and forest ecosystems, or if only it would stop seducing children, or if only it would stop buying politicians, or if only it would give women and favored minorities an equitable share of the loot? Wendell Berry ecosystems air children If the devil doesn't exist... how do you explain that some people are a lot worse than they're smart enough to be? Wendell Berry devil smart people Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias. Say that your main crop is the forest that you did not plant, that you will not live to harvest. Wendell Berry harvest plant forests A man's life is always dealing with permanence, that is the most dangerous kind of irresponsibility is to think of your doings as temporary. Wendell Berry kind men thinking You can best serve civilization by being against what usually passes for it. Wendell Berry civilization In health the flesh is graced, the holy enters the world. Wendell Berry healthcare flesh world Unless you absolutely have got to do it, don’t buy anything new. Wendell Berry Battle with unconditioned breath the unconditioned air. Shun electric wire. Communicate slowly. Live a three-dimensional life; stay away from screens. Wendell Berry wire battle air It is only on the condition of humility and reverence before the world that our species will be able to remain in it. Wendell Berry nature humility animal Charity even for one person does not make sense except in terms of an effort to love all Creation in response to the Creator's love for it. Wendell Berry charity effort doe The life we want is not merely the one we have chosen and made. It is the one we must be choosing and making Wendell Berry chosen made want
