This week’s reflections are from From the Inward Journey, a collection of writings by Howard Thurman, selected by his daughter, Anne Spenser Thurman. Thurman (1899 – 1981) was an African-American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader who was involved in many social justice movements and organizations of the twentieth century.
“There must be always remaining in every [person’s] life some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and by an inherent prerogative, throwing all the rest of life into a new and creative relatedness, something that gathers up in itself all the freshets of experience from drab and commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright light of penetrating beauty and meaning—then passes. The commonplace is shot through with new glory; old burdens become lighter, deep and ancient wounds lose much of their old, old hurting. A crown is placed over our heads that for the rest of our lives we are trying to grow tall enough to wear. Despite all the crassness of life, despite all the hardness of life, despite all of the harsh discords of life, life is saved by the singing of angels.”
–Howard Thurman, From the Inward Journey, p. 247
