THURMAN’S CORNER
Howard Washington Thurman (1899-1981) was a towering spiritual giant on the social and religious scene of the twentieth century. Theologian, Mystic, Philosopher and Spiritual Director, he led the movement for engendering social change from a deeply spiritual and affirming place. He was nurtured in an empowering, protective, inspiring social and family milieu. Through his inherited parental values and Christian faith, he received a sense of personal somebodiness that prepared him for the work of social transformation. This solid foundation empowered him to rise above the limiting racial divide to speak truth to a generation and to work for community formation across the decades of extraordinary social upheavals in America. Many of the Civil Rights movement’s leaders were advised, encouraged and inspired by this generous human spirit. His voice speaks loudly to issues of the twenty first century and the challenges of our day.
THURMAN’S CORNER – 11/22/20
Life affirmation is not possible unless we summon enough courage to make the first basic act of faith: “I believe that there is moral meaning at the center of life!”
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
Archived Quotes
THURMAN’S CORNER – 11/15/20
There is no form of pride that is quite so devastating as pride of the man who is sure that he is not victimized by pride … To state this in terms of religious experience, a vivid sense of the judgment of God is the only antidote to pride. That is why the holiest man is ever the one who honestly regards himself as the chief of sinners. Whatever men may think of us, however proud, righteous and decent we may be, in the eyes of God we are in some profound sense, sinners.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 11/08/20
Sometimes a decision has to be made – to go around the obstacle or to be destroyed by the obstacle. The matter of timing is crucial. Some things can be removed only by allowing them to soak. To know the difference in techniques demanded is a kind of wisdom that cannot be easily won. It is the wisdom of God.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 11/01/20
We are all related either positively or negatively to some immediate social unit which provides the other-than-self reference which in turn undergirds the sense of self. Such a primary group confers persona upon the individual; it fashions and fortifies the character structure… For each person is both a participant and a spectator. No self-expression can be perfectly complete.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 10/126/20
The question of the Christian’s attitude toward the world is of primary importance… One may decide that all of the experiences of life are raw materials out of which the Christian is to build the New Jerusalem under God. Such a person will not shrink from the world, but will work in it with courage and high purpose, with the full consciousness that this is God’s world.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 10/19/20
Paradoxical as it seems, patience is an important technique for accomplishing difficult tasks, even in matters having to do with social change. Some things cannot be forced but they must unfold, sending their tendrils deep into the heart of life, gathering strength and power with the unfolding days.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 10/11/20
The good must be worked at, must be concentrated upon, if it is to prevail in any short time intervals. It is not enough to evict the devil; but something else must be put in his place and maintained there, or else he returns, refreshed and recharged, to deliver us over to a greater tyranny.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 9/27/20
There must always remain as a part of the total equipment for survival at least the psychology of threat as a weapon of defense. All of this is a part of the problem of violence in life. It is curious how we do not even respect the person who does not seem able to affirm his right to be. There is an essential dignity in human life, yes, in all of life, that must somehow be asserted from within, or else life is stripped of any true significance. In religious terms, this essential dignity is the basis of reverence and is the symbol of the divine in life.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 9/21/20
In a world of tremendous upheaval such as ours, where almost all of the old moorings are uprooted and it is simply maddening to try to secure and maintain one’s bearing and sense of direction, the Church must be primarily a place of instruction, must include at least two important areas. In the first place, men must be taught the content of the Christian faith. Such questions as: Who was Jesus? What precisely did he teach? What are the historic Jewish-Christian insights with reference to God and the meaning of life and the interpretation of human experience? What is man and what is the nature of his responsibility? How must one interpret the new significance of the various political economic and social arrangements under which men live? These and similar questions must be dealt with, carefully, honestly and intelligently.
The second area has to do with the inner life. What is the significance of spiritual exercises? Precisely what is prayer and how does one pray? What techniques and methods are available for deepening one’s sense of the presence of God and how may one work in the world courageously and intelligently on behalf of a decent world, without despair and complete fatigue? What are the resources for personal rehabilitation and renewal? That men may be able to look out on life, with all of its cruel vicissitudes and transcendent joys, with quiet eyes and tranquil spirit, is one of the end results of the attention that the Church gives to this important responsibility to the individual.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 9/14/20
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ reminds us once again of the penalty which any highly organized society exacts of those who violate its laws … Whenever a Jesus Christ is crucified, there will also be crucified beside him the thief – two symbols of resistance to the established pattern. When Christianity makes central in its doctrine the redemptive significance of the cross, it defines itself ever in terms of the growing edge, the advance guard of the human race, who take the lead in man’s long march to the City of God.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”
THURMAN’S CORNER – 9/07/20
It is of immeasurable comfort to remember that much of the chaos and disorder of our own lives is rooted in causes that are understandable; much of the evil in life is reasonable, in the sense that its roots can be traced and it is not necessary to place the blame upon the devil or some blind senseless process. The naked responsibility for human misery, you and I and ordinary human beings like us must accept. In this doomful fact there is the ground of hope, because it means that, in the creation of man, God provided for limitless resourcefulness, and because any situation, however chaotic, can be understood and reconstructed if we have no fear to do, if need be, the radical, the revolutionary deed.
From his book “Deep Is The Hunger”