Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be so shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.

Isn't connecting people to distant lands and culture one of the strengths of good literature?

Either grant me the bliss of the ignorant or give me the strength to bear the knowledge.

Many analysts compare Turkey with countries in the Middle East, but I think we need to compare it with Russia. Both countries come from a tradition of empire, and also from a tradition of the strong state.

Moments are born and moments die. For new experiences to come to life, old ones need to wither away.

How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. If God brings to mind mostly fear and blame, it means there is too much fear and blame welled inside us. If we see God as full of love and compassion, so are we.

Because time is a drop in the ocean, and you cannot measure off one drop against another to see which one is bigger, which one is smaller.