MORAL IDEALS HELP SHAPE AND DEFINE our world. And whether we like it or not, sooner or later they are defining factors in our individual lives.
Maybe we use words like values and ethics. Or perhaps spiritual precepts, goodness, virtue. Whatever terms we may choose, their influence is inescapable when it comes to the ultimate depth and substance of meaning in our lives. We may treasure and live by these concepts. We may resist, or even reject, them. But they will capture and control our purpose in life. They are irresistible divine forces that finally win our allegiance—right to the core of our being.
Analogies usually have their limitations, but try to envision two circles—one above the other. We'll call them moral circles. The higher one might be described as the way we love—including ourselves and others. The lower, we'll call the way we respect and care for ourselves and others.
