Real Men

There are indeed real men of noble character, they are the ones who stand steadfast, in the face of adversity. Without the wisdom, and strong hearts of these gallant men, our society would face utter chaos.

Such a man was this:

"Night is drawing nigh. How long the road is. But, for all the time the journey has already taken, how you have needed every second of it."
Do not seek death. Death will find you. But seek the road which makes death a fulfillment.

"In a dream I walked with God through the deep places of creation; past walls that receded and gates that opened, through hall after hall of silence, darkness and refreshment—the dwelling place of souls acquainted with light and warmth—until, around me, was an infinity into which we all flowed together and lived anew, like the rings made by raindrops falling upon wide expanses of calm dark waters."


Give me a pure heart that I may see Thee.
A humble heart that I may hear Thee,
A heart of love that I may serve Thee,
A heart of faith that I may abide in Thee.

It is not we who seek the Way,
but the Way which seeks us.
That is why you are faithful to it,
even while you stand waiting,
so long as you are prepared,
and act the moment you are
confronted by its demands.

Your position never gives you the right to command. It only imposes on you the duty of so living your life that others can receive your orders without being humiliated.
Forgiveness breaks the chain of causality because he who forgives you -- out of love -- takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice.

In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.

Dag Hammarskjöld
Excerpts from 'Markings'
(Published posthumously in 1963 in Swedish as Vägmärken.)
This work he called "A sort of white book concerning my negotiations with myself -- and with God."




Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)