Bill McKibben Quotes

The whole of science, and one is tempted to think the whole of the life of any thinking man, is trying to come to terms with the relationship between yourself and the natural world. Why are you here, and how do you fit in, and what's it all about.

In the early ages, I believe not much thought was given to what man is and what his real functions should be, and what is the real purpose of his life.

Movies about space raise those questions of what we're doing here, and that inevitably introduces a spiritual dimension.

No man is truly educated unless he knows where he came from, why he is here, and where he can expect to go in the next life.

We have no rational evidence that there exists another world, but we have a clear feeling that man does not exist only to produce and to consume.

In the end, I'm really interested in people and what we do with our short time here on earth. I'm interested in the human soul.

If the existence of human beings leads to nothing, what is all this comedy about?

If life is not a celebration, why remember it ? If life --- mine or that of my fellow man --- is not an offering to the other, what are we doing on this earth?

The ascent to the divine Life is the human journey, the Work of works, the acceptable Sacrifice. This alone is man's real business in the world and the justification of his existence, without which he would only be an insect crawling among the ephemeral insects on a speck of surface mud and water which has managed to form itself amid the appalling immensities of the physical universe.

-Why does a man live? -In order to think about it.

A soul who is not close to nature is far away from what is called spirituality. In order to be spiritual one must communicate, and especially one must communicate with nature; one must feel nature.

I believe that the reason of life is for each of us simply to grow in love.

A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.

Life is short, very short, and what are we doing here if not trying to become more generous and loving?

You are more than you think you are. There are dimensions of your being and a potential for realization and consciousness that are not included in your concept of yourself. Your life is much deeper and broader than you conceive it to be here. What you are living is but a fractional inkling of what is really within you, what gives you life, breadth, and depth.

Relationships keep us alive and our lives meaningful.

Although it is a gloomy view to suppose that life will die out, sometimes when I contemplate the things that people do with their lives I think it is almost a consolation

Asking science to explain life and vital matters is equivalent to asking a grammarian to explain poetry.

There are responsibilities which are parental responsibilities and those are the types of things we prepare the next generation for, but no one tells you how to answer the kids' questions in the backseat of the car when they want to know what the world is for or where they came from or why any of this is happening.

Prayer is not a way of making use of God; prayer is a way of offering ourselves to God in order that He should be able to make use of us.

I do not believe making money in order to consume goods is mankind's sole purpose on this planet.

Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life.

In the Christian perspective, the love of God and of all other human beings invites us to share and enjoy not just the best of the human potential as it evolves, but participation in the divine life itself.

GodQuest is a awesome resource to explore life's most important questions in a authentic way. It's filled with practical and useful information for both individuals and groups and encourages taking honest steps on the journey with God. I believe many will read it and discover, or re-discover, the God who is our hope!

The realization of our true substance and potential is the purpose of creation.