The forces of evil are powerful, harsh, magnificent, and bombastic. The forces of life are very kind, quite vulnerable, immensely weak, and sometimes even barely noticeable. Much more important than saying "no" to the forces of death is to repeatedly say "yes" to these fragile and vulnerable sources of life. That is why we should love the poor, the afflicted, the lonely, the isolated, all the insignificant around us.
I am convinced that this world will be saved through the little ones, through those who are unseen. Ask yourselves where to find these little ones. Some may live in your neighborhood, even if it is just one single person, but through them, you will connect with life. It could be a lonely woman, a dying person, a small abandoned child, or a beggar who has crossed borders and asks, "Is there a place for me here?"
(Henri Nouwen /1932–1996/, speech during a General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, June 1985)
