Moral Ideals

“At the heart of any institution is an idea. Marriage, parenthood, friendship, citizenship, each embody a certain way of life with its attendant obligations and expectations. There is nothing natural about institutions. They are the order we impose on the potential chaos of human relationships. At their best, they are complex works of art, continually rehearsed and re-enacted, through which we give living expression to some of humanity’s highest moral and spiritual ideals.”

Community of Faith, p. 100