G'Kar: If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth, for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search – who does not bring a lantern – sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light, pure and unblemished, not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe – God looks astonishingly like we do – or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us.

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About J. Michael Straczynski

Joseph Michael Straczynski (born 17 July 1954) is an award-winning American writer/producer of television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas.

Biography information from Wikiquote

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Additional quotes by J. Michael Straczynski

run outside and shit beside a dumpster, just blasting like a firehose, and a cat runs out covered in awfulness and all I wanted was to die, right then and there, in front of God and everyone.

When we say I won't take this anymore, that's when we know who we are and what we'll tolerate. Until we're tested, we don't know those things. That's when we wake up. That's when we know who we are. That's when people will show up and take your side. When you decide what it is you stand for, when standing is the hardest.