The answer was clear, though he half-expected his hand to shrivel and turn black when he voted for a Republican. - Mary Doria Russell

It is a scholar’s task to find patterns in nature or cycles in history. Initially, it’s no different from finding portraits of animals and heroes in the stars. The question is, Have you discovered a preexisting truth? Or have you imposed an arbitrary meaning on whatever it is you’re considering?

After all, Ignatius of Loyola, a soldier who had killed and whored and made a thorough mess of his soul, said you could judge prayer worthwhile simply if you could act more decently, think more clearly afterward. As D.W. once told him, “Son, sometimes it’s enough just to act less like a shithead.

There's a saying in Hebrew, 'No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there's always a thread of grace.