Henri Nouwen Quotes

Sometimes people don't trust the force of kindness. They think love or compassion or kindness will make you weak and kind of stupid and people will take advantage of you; you won't stand up for other people.

True charity requires courage: Let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.

The giving of love is an education in itself.

The brave love mercy, and delight to save.

I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.

A love for humanity came over me, and watered and fertilised the fields of my inner world which had been lying fallow, and this love of humanity vented itself in a vast compassion.

The things I do, I do from the heart and out of love and respect for our planet and all living things. And I draw my courage from my love for justice and truth, and I calm my fears by comforting those who are more scared than me. And I try to do my best to make the world a better place, one small action at a time, as good as I can.

Compassionate action emerges from the sense of openness, connectedness, and discernment you have created.

To measure the man, measure his heart.

If you want honesty and love, you have to be honest and loving and loveable.

You can choose to live in love or choose to live in fear.

To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world, the ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control that can lead you to be shattered.

They walked back into the world together, wearing the gift that had been given them: just life. Pity was not love, Barbie reflected...but if you were a child, giving clothes to someone who was naked had to be a step in the right direction.

I was amazed by this person who, even though she had everything, would go to feed the homeless and visit sick children and Aids victims. It was like a fairy tale. Who was she really? Why did she do this? She was trying to find love. I wanted the world to see her kindness, her humility: I think she realised that would be her way.

Altruism is a barbarism. Love is the word.

Charity isn't about pity, it is about love.

Let us not fail to scatter along our pathway the seeds of kindness and sympathy. Some of them will doubtless perish; but if one only lives, it will perfume our steps and rejoice our eyes.

Beneficence is a duty. He who frequently practices it, and sees his benevolent intentions realized, at length comes really to love him to whom he has done good. When, therefore, it is said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," it is not meant, thou shalt love him first and do him good in consequence of that love, but, thou shalt do good to thy neighbor; and this thy beneficence will engender in thee that love to mankind which is the fulness and consummation of the inclination to do good.

Give your heart to everybody you meet. The rest is pretense.

Suffering can become a means to greater love and greater generosity.

When I treat other people with kindness and love, it is part of my way of paying my debt to God and the world for the privilege of living on this planet.

It's curious how, when you're in love, you yearn to go about doing acts of kindness to everybody.

Kindness it is that brings forth kindness always.

Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life...all of our life.

Goodness, generosity, or love does not come into being save through the search for reality.