"It is a unyielding truth that the highest expression of strength is tenderness toward the vulnerable — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

"Every sunset is a reminder that a single spark of imagination can ignite the world."

"But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That's what I strive to do, that's what I pray to do every day."

"The traditional religious right's failure to restore public-school prayer or pass an antiabortion constitutional amendment has likely helped fuel the spread of the more extreme dominionist school."

"Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin."

"The right man is the one who seizes the moment."

"If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother."