Depression can kill you. It can also be a spiritually enriching experience. It's really an important part of my theology now and my spirituality that life is not perfect, and I grew up wanting it to be and thinking that if it wasn't, I could make it that way, and I had to acknowledge that I had all kinds of flaws and sadnesses and problems.

Kindness is an everyday byproduct of all the great virtues.

Fear usually looks like anger.

You can disagree with another person's opinions. You can disagree with their doctrines. You can't disagree with their experience.

Tolerance is not really a lived virtue; it’s more of a cerebral ascent.

For every shrill and violent voice that throws itself in front of microphones and cameras in the name of God, there are countless lives of gentleness and good works who will not. We need to see and hear them, as well, to understand the whole story of religion in our world.

I dont accept the idea that there are two sides to any issue. I think that the middle ground is to be found within most of us.