An elephant named Maisha wants to seek refuge and join Beatrice and Virgil. Despite the fact that he is an enormous elephant with a visible and strange bright orange color, would Beatrice and Virgil allow her to hide with them? What if she sneezes and the whole town hears them?

Once you have been struck by violence, you acquire companions that never leave you entirely: Suspicion, Fear, Anxiety, Despair, Joylessness.

Time and renewed unfamiliarity even things out.

- "Why is Virgil so anxious?"
- "Because he's a howler monkey in a world that doesn't want howler monkeys."

Reality escapes us. It's beyond description, even a simple pear. Time eats everything.

Faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you, always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can't. This shadow is doubt. And it goes wherever you go as long as you stay in the sun. And who wouldn't want to be in the sun?

Creative block is no laughing matter, or only to those sodden spirits who've never tried to make their personal mark. It's not just a particular endeavour, a job, that is negated, it's your whole being. It's the dying of small god within you, a part you thought might have immortality. When you're creatively blocked, you're left with dead skins.

My book is about a new choices of stories. With a historical event, we not only have to bear witness, that is, tell what happened and address the need of ghosts. We also have to interpret and conclude, so that the needs of people today, the children of ghosts, can be addressed. In addition to the knowledge of history, we need the understanding of art. Stories identify, unify, give meaning to. Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a story is life that makes sense.

Where is my tattoo, Linda?

Democracy is often two lions and a lamb voting on what's for dinner.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws.

Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service.

PBPGINFWMY: Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!

God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.

There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain.

Until you care enough to confront and resolve the underlying barriers, you will never grow close to each other.

The Elephant Keeper

You are a virgin loved by a whore.

We are n'sync.

Hard way to make an easy living.