Spires whose "silent finger points to heaven."
Interpretation
This quote suggests that certain structures (like spires) inspire contemplation of the divine or higher truths.
William Wordsworth's quote, 'Spires whose silent finger points to heaven,' illustrates how tall structures, often associated with places of worship, serve as symbolic reminders of spirituality and our connection to a higher power. The imagery evokes a sense of tranquility and reverence, suggesting that these architectural forms guide our thoughts towards contemplation of the divine, emphasizing the relationship between the physical and the spiritual realms.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of architecture in inspiring spirituality.
For mightier far_x000D_ _x000D_ Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway_x000D_ _x000D_ Of magic potent over sun and star,_x000D_ _x000D_ Is love, though oft to agony distrest,_x000D_ _x000D_ And though his favourite be feeble woman's breast.
By all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest; and tumble up and down what thou findest there.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,_x000D_ _x000D_ The earth, and every common sight,_x000D_ _x000D_ To me did seem_x000D_ _x000D_ Apparelled in celestial light,_x000D_ _x000D_ The glory and the freshness of a dream.
Books are yours, Within whose silent chambers treasure lies Preserved from age to age; more precious far Than that accumulated store of gold And orient gems, which, for a day of need, The Sultan hides deep in ancestral tombs. These hoards of truth you can unlock at will.
The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune.
Shalt show us how divine a thing A woman may be made.
[God] will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of heaven as a shortcut to the nearest chemist's shop.
Spirituality is meant to take us beyond our tribal identity into a domain of awareness that is more universal.
I am still a consumer; the consumer world was the world I emerged into, whose air I breathed for a very long time, and its assumptions still dominate my psyche—but maybe a little less each year....There are times when I can feel the spell breaking in my mind….There are times when I can almost feel myself simply being.
What preoccupies us, then, is not God as a fact of nature, but as a fabrication useful for a God-fearing society. God himself becomes not a power but an image.
Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.
Baseball serves as a good model for democracy in action: Every player is equally important and each has a chance to be a hero.
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