Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;
therefore, we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes
complete sense in any immediate context of history;
therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, could be accomplished alone;
therefore, we must be saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint
of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint;
therefore, we must be saved by the final
form of love, which is forgiveness.
—Reinhold Niebuhr
This post is an excerpt from Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon.