1941 Quote by Hans Scholl
““Even though May came in accompanied by rain, all the fields were bright with the loveliest green imaginable. A sunbeam pierced a little gap in the dark sea of cloud, and the world laughed and glittered in the light of heaven. I stood there marveling and thought, Does God take us for fools, that he should light up the world for us with such consummate beauty in the radiance of his glory, in his honor? And nothing, on the other hand, but rapine and murder? Where does the truth lie? Should one go off and build a little house with flowers outside the windows and a garden outside the door and extol and thank God and turnone’s back on the world and its filth? Isn’t seclusion a form of treachery of desertion? I’m weak and puny, but I want to do what is right.””
About This Quote
Source Diary entry: The White Rose, 1942
Beauty in nature reveals divine glory, prompting moral reflection amid worldly suffering.
In simple terms: Nature’s beauty points to God’s glory.
Key Takeaway
Seek meaning beyond suffering.
Themes
beauty
faith
morality
suffering
Mood
thoughtful
conflicted
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- personal contemplation
- creative expression
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
Existentialism
theodicy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does beauty teach about suffering?
- How can you act justly while appreciating nature?
A Different Perspective
Focusing on beauty may distract from urgent injustice.
![“At the round earth's imagined corners blow Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise From death, you numberless infinities Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go ; All whom the flood did, and fire shall o'erthrow, All whom war, dea[r]th, age, agues, tyrannies, Despair, law, chance hath slain, and…” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/51d/john-donne-933_apocalypse_at-the-round-earth-s-imagined-corners-bl_2567860.jpg)
