What if some of the most important parts of life can’t really be measured?

In Part Six of The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran takes on time, good and evil, and prayer—three enormous subjects that ultimately lead toward a common lesson in humility.

Four ideas stood out to me: the clock doesn’t measure everything that matters, being lost isn’t the same as being evil, we should understand before judging, and gratitude may be as important to prayer as asking.

Maybe Gibran is asking us to occasionally put down the measuring stick and simply pay attention—to where we’ve been, to the people around us, and to whatever reminds us that we’re part of something larger.

Until next time, remember: the answers are older than we are—and just as relevant today.

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