Shadow Puppets (Shadow, #3)

by Orson Scott Card

Since he thought himself completely unworthy of love, it took him the longest time to know that someone loved him.

Gandhi’s peaceful resistance only worked against an oppressor with a free press.

“Then my courage is nothing but borrowed courage.” “Not borrowed,” said Mother. “Stored up. In us. Like a bank. We’ve seen your courage and we saved some for you when you temporarily ran out and needed some of it back.”

So this was how they lived with their history—they assigned meanings to everything that allowed them to see God’s hand in everything. Purpose. Even power and hope.

“Inshallah,” said Petra. She had rather expected Alai to chuckle, but he only nodded. “Yes, that is our belief, that all that happens comes from the will of God. But I think it is not your belief.” “No, we Christians have to guess the will of God and try to bring it to pass.”

it’s better to believe that some high purpose guides our steps than to think that nothing matters except our own small miseries and happinesses.” “Unless our happiness is the high purpose.” “If our happiness is the purpose of God,” said Alai, “why are so few of us happy?” “Perhaps he wants us to have the happiness that we can only find for ourselves.”