All names of God remain hallowed because they have been used not only to speak of God but also to speak to him.
Martin BuberBut it can also happen, if will and grace are joined, that as I contemplate the tree I am drawn into a relation, and the tree ceases to be an It. . . . Does the tree then have consciousness, similar to our own? I have no experience of that. But thinking that you have brought this off in your own case, must you again divide the indivisible? What I encounter is neither the soul of a tree nor a dryad, but the tree itself.
Martin BuberNothing so tends to mask the face of God as religion; it can be a substitute for God himself.
Martin BuberEverything is full of sacramental substance, everything. Each thing and each function is ever ready to light up into a sacrament.
Martin BuberMan is like a tree. If you stand in front of a tree and watch it incessantly, to see how it grows, and to see how much it has grown, you will see nothing at all. But tend it at all times, prune the runners and keep it free of beetles and worms, and all in good time-it will come into its growth. It is the same with man: all that is necessary is for him to overcome his obstacles, and he will thrive and grow. But it is not right to examine him hour after hour to see how much has already been added to his stature.
Martin Buber