--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where refugees seek deliverance that…" description: "\"Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where children age before their timeAnd life wears do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg" --- # Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the… ![“Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where children age before their timeAnd life wears down the edges of the mind,Where the old man sits with mind grown cold,While bones and sinew, blood and cell, go slowly down to death,Where fear…” quote by Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg) > “Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where children age before their timeAnd life wears down the edges of the mind,Where the old man sits with mind grown cold,While bones and sinew, blood and cell, go slowly down to death,Where fear companions each day's life,And Perfect Love seems long delayed.CHRISTMAS IS WAITING TO BE BORN:In you, in me, in all mankind.” [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 poem portrays the deep suffering and longing of displaced people, emphasizing that true love and redemption feel distant amid hardship. **In simple terms:** Suffering and hope amid displacement. Key Takeaway Seek compassion and act to alleviate suffering. Themes suffering hope displacement redemption compassion Mood somber reflective hopeful Type poetic spiritual social. When to use this quote - refugee aid - community support - mental health care - intergenerational dialogue Key Concepts human dignity spiritual longing social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can societies transform compassion into concrete aid? - What does “perfect love” mean in practical terms? A Different Perspective The poem may overlook systemic causes of suffering, focusing on individual endurance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Deliverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliverance/) [Each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each-day/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Perfect love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-love/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) ## Related quotes > [I am not your God. Or if I am, I'm no God you can seek out for deliverance or explanation. I'm the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/i-am-not-your-god-or-if-i-am-i-m-no-god-you-can-seek-out-for/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [So much of motion, is so much of life, and so much of joy, and to stand still, or get on but slowly, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/so-much-of-motion-is-so-much-of-life-and-so-much-of-joy-and-to-stand/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [Christmas is waiting to be born: in you, in me, in all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/christmas-is-waiting-to-be-born-in-you-in-me-in-all-mankind/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [We are blind to the worlds within us, waiting to be born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-rhinehart/we-are-blind-to-the-worlds-within-us-waiting-to-be-born/) [Luke Rhinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-rhinehart/) > [Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/inside-everyone-is-a-great-shout-of-joy-waiting-to-be-born/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [You must give birth to your images. 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Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [Love delayed is lust augmented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/love-delayed-is-lust-augmented/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [Eventually, Americans would be stuck with government-run health care whether they like it or not. That's when the worst scenario would take shape, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/eventually-americans-would-be-stuck-with-government-run-health-care/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [“could go wrong on the way did—the plane was delayed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-s-pillai/could-go-wrong-on-the-way-did-the-plane-was-delayed/) Manu S. Pillai > [My flights delayed and I found a pube in my sushi. Good times at the airport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/my-flights-delayed-and-i-found-a-pube-in-my-sushi-good-times-at-the/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) ## More by Howard Thurman > [ “...\[A\] strange necessity has been laid upon me to devote my life to the central concern that transcends the walls that divide and would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/a-strange-necessity-has-been-laid-upon-me-to-devote-my-life-to-the/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. 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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/) [Explore all 57 Howard Thurman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where children age before their timeAnd life wears down the edges of the mind,Where the old man sits with mind grown cold,While bones and sinew, blood and cell, go slowly down to death,Where fear companions each day's life,And Perfect Love seems long delayed.CHRISTMAS IS WAITING TO BE BORN:In you, in me, in all mankind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Howard Thurman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-never-comesand-the-heart/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-never-comesand-the-heart/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf1/howard-thurman-11976_age_where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-nev_2448304.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where…” — Howard Thurman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Howard Thurman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Where refugees seek deliverance that never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-never-comesand-the-heart/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/where-refugees-seek-deliverance-that-never-comesand-the-heart/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```