--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...[A] strange necessity has been laid…" description: "\"“...[A] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote my life to the central concern that transcends the walls that divide and would achieve in lit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/howard-thurman-11976_hard-core_a-strange-necessity-has-been-laid-upon-m_37987.jpg" --- # ...\[A\] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote… ![“...[A] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote my life to the central concern that transcends the walls that divide and would achieve in literal fact what is experienced as literal truth: human life is one and all men are members of one another. And this insight is spiritual and it is…” quote by Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/howard-thurman-11976_hard-core_a-strange-necessity-has-been-laid-upon-m_37987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/howard-thurman-11976_hard-core_a-strange-necessity-has-been-laid-upon-m_37987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/howard-thurman-11976_hard-core_a-strange-necessity-has-been-laid-upon-m_37987.jpg) > ““...\[A\] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote my life to the central concern that transcends the walls that divide and would achieve in literal fact what is experienced as literal truth: human life is one and all men are members of one another. And this insight is spiritual and it is the hard core of religious experience.”” [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote asserts that humanity shares an essential unity, a spiritual truth that underlies religious experience, urging devotion to this collective bond. **In simple terms:** Human unity as spiritual truth Key Takeaway All humans are interconnected Themes unity spirituality religion humanism collective identity Mood hopeful reflective inspirational Type philosophical spiritual sociocultural When to use this quote - interfaith dialogue - community building - social activism - education - counseling Key Concepts interdependence transcendence moral responsibility Practical Applications - Developing inclusive curricula - Designing community outreach programs Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing shared humanity affect moral choices? - In what ways can this insight guide social policies? A Different Perspective Some argue that emphasizing unity may overlook individual differences and cultural specificities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-core/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-experience/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [There's something spiritual in hard work. Spirituality isn't all aromatherapy and scented candles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/there-s-something-spiritual-in-hard-work-spirituality-isn-t-all/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I say that creeds, dogmas, and theologies are inventions of the mind. It is the nature of the mind to make sense out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/i-say-that-creeds-dogmas-and-theologies-are-inventions-of-the-mind-it/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [God's truth is literal truth. The illumined mind has more operative cells. In reclaiming the mystical, we take back our whole selves. Formerly barren…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/god-s-truth-is-literal-truth-the-illumined-mind-has-more-operative/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“He said, "Just as there exists in writing a literal truth and a poetic truth, there also exists in a human being a literal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-said-just-as-there-exists-in-writing-a-literal-truth-and-a-poetic/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Everything Scripture teaches about sin and redemption assumes the literal truth of the first three chapters of Genesis. If we wobble to any degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/everything-scripture-teaches-about-sin-and-redemption-assumes-the/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The deepest shadow is cast by the strongest light is not just a metaphor; it is literal truth. In](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-meredith/the-deepest-shadow-is-cast-by-the-strongest-light-is-not-just-a/) [Jane Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-meredith/) > [“It is true that this general truth was hidden from many by certain definite assertions. I can only call them, in simple language, Protestant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-true-that-this-general-truth-was-hidden-from-many-by-certain/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [A knowledge of the true age of the Earth and of the fossil record makes it impossible for any balanced intellect to believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/a-knowledge-of-the-true-age-of-the-earth-and-of-the-fossil-record/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [In order to deliver the emotional truth in the story, you have to include some of the literal truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-breslin/in-order-to-deliver-the-emotional-truth-in-the-story-you-have-to/) [Theresa Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-breslin/) > [“And after all, our mythology may be much nearer to literal truth than we suppose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/and-after-all-our-mythology-may-be-much-nearer-to-literal-truth-than/) [c.s. lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [In its natural state, the child tells the literal truth because it is too naive to think of anything else. Blurting out the complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/in-its-natural-state-the-child-tells-the-literal-truth-because-it-is/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“It's safer to use fiction, which will not be taken for literal truth, but which, like Jesus' stories, can tell the truth indirectly yetpowerfully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-martindale/it-s-safer-to-use-fiction-which-will-not-be-taken-for-literal-truth/) Wayne Martindale > [I liked the thought of being a country clergyman. Accordingly I read with care Pearson on the Creed and a few other books on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-liked-the-thought-of-being-a-country-clergyman-accordingly-i-read/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“You adulterate the truth as you write. There isn't any pretense that you try to arrive at the literal truth. And the only consolation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald-2/you-adulterate-the-truth-as-you-write-there-isn-t-any-pretense-that/) [W.G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald-2/) > [It’s worth noting that you can devote your life to community service and be a total schmuck. You can spend your life on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/it-s-worth-noting-that-you-can-devote-your-life-to-community-service/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## More by Howard Thurman > [Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/don-t-ask-what-the-world-needs-ask-what-makes-you-come-alive-and-go/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/when-the-song-of-the-angels-is-stilled-when-the-star-in-the-sky-is/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [I will light candles this Christmas, Candles of joy, despite all sadness, Candles of hope where despair keeps watch. Candles of courage where fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/i-will-light-candles-this-christmas-candles-of-joy-despite-all/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [There are two questions that we have to ask ourselves. The first is 'Where am I going?' and the second is 'Who will go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/there-are-two-questions-that-we-have-to-ask-ourselves-the-first-is/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [Twilight - a time of pause when nature changes her guard. All living things would fade and die from too much light or too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/twilight-a-time-of-pause-when-nature-changes-her-guard-all-living/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/there-is-something-in-every-one-of-you-that-waits-and-listens-for-the/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [“It’s a wondrous thing, that a decision to act releases energy in the personality. For days on end a person may drift along without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/it-s-a-wondrous-thing-that-a-decision-to-act-releases-energy-in-the/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [Dont ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/dont-ask-yourself-what-the-world-needs-ask-yourself-what-makes-you/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [The years, the months, the days, and the hours have flown by my open window. Here and there an incident, a towering moment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/the-years-the-months-the-days-and-the-hours-have-flown-by-my-open/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [At the core of life is a hard purposefulness, a determination to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/at-the-core-of-life-is-a-hard-purposefulness-a-determination-to-live/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [I say that creeds, dogmas, and theologies are inventions of the mind. It is the nature of the mind to make sense out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/i-say-that-creeds-dogmas-and-theologies-are-inventions-of-the-mind-it/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [There were long stretches where each of us was engaged in a private world of rapidly shifting vignettes. Always I was overwhelmed by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/there-were-long-stretches-where-each-of-us-was-engaged-in-a-private/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [The movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men and women often calls them to act against the spirit of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/the-movement-of-the-spirit-of-god-in-the-hearts-of-men-and-women/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [It cannot be denied that too often the weight of the Christian movement has been on the side of the strong and the powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/it-cannot-be-denied-that-too-often-the-weight-of-the-christian/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/when-the-song-of-the-angels-is-stilled-when-the-star-in-the-sky-is-2/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) [Explore all 57 Howard Thurman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) ## More Hard core quotes > [Pure, hard-core liberals believe in a superior race. They think they're it. They believe they're more intelligent than the general run of mankind, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/pure-hard-core-liberals-believe-in-a-superior-race-they-think-they-re/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Inferiority is not banal or incidental even when it happens to women. It is not a petty affliction like bad skin or circles under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/inferiority-is-not-banal-or-incidental-even-when-it-happens-to-women/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [Dear xams.. sorry to say this but we dont get along qte well..! the more closer u cum the more am pissed off...n to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allarefake/dear-xams-sorry-to-say-this-but-we-dont-get-along-qte-well-the-more/) Allarefake > [George Jones was a big, huge name in our household. George Jones-he is considered country, but in every genre he is known. Everybody knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-loveless/george-jones-was-a-big-huge-name-in-our-household-george-jones-he-is/) [Patty Loveless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-loveless/) > [I catch as much hell from the hard-core conservative people as I do the far left. The only difference is that the far right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/i-catch-as-much-hell-from-the-hard-core-conservative-people-as-i-do/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [I'm a nerd. But I'm not that hard-core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manganiello/i-m-a-nerd-but-i-m-not-that-hard-core/) [Joe Manganiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manganiello/) > [“About as much business as a cat owner has selling dog food. Or an Olympic swimmer has advertising for downhill ski equipment. Or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-ulen-curtis/about-as-much-business-as-a-cat-owner-has-selling-dog-food-or-an/) [Laurel Ulen Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-ulen-curtis/) > [Well the press and things like that are pretty hard core, but I don't pay too much attention to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-valance/well-the-press-and-things-like-that-are-pretty-hard-core-but-i-don-t/) [Holly Valance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-valance/) > [You have to excuse me because I AM a teenager, so I'm allowed to sound illiterate and make stupid comments like 'I'm not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/you-have-to-excuse-me-because-i-am-a-teenager-so-i-m-allowed-to-sound/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [I am a hard-core believer that the clean desktop is the way to go... At the same time, we told OEMs that if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-allchin/i-am-a-hard-core-believer-that-the-clean-desktop-is-the-way-to-go-at/) [Jim Allchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-allchin/) > [I am hard-core middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/i-am-hard-core-middle-class/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) > [“The hard core of leadership capabilities strengthens leadership effectiveness and highlights leadership substance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-hard-core-of-leadership-capabilities-strengthens-leadership/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Democracy is a small hard core of common agreement, surrounded by a rich variety of individual differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryant-conant/democracy-is-a-small-hard-core-of-common-agreement-surrounded-by-a/) [James Bryant Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryant-conant/) > [What's wrong with extreme dieting and hard-core fitness plans is that they don't take into account the rest of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sweeney/what-s-wrong-with-extreme-dieting-and-hard-core-fitness-plans-is-that/) [Alison Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sweeney/) > [People came at me with all sorts of offers, wanting to make me into a hard-core Cher. I had no desire for any amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/people-came-at-me-with-all-sorts-of-offers-wanting-to-make-me-into-a/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) [Browse all 113 Hard core quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-core/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...[A] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote my life to the central concern that transcends the walls that divide and would achieve in literal fact what is experienced as literal truth: human life is one and all men are members of one another. 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