"It is more noble to give oneself to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses. A man could be involved six or seven days a week, spending twelve to fourteen hours a day doing good things for other people, and yet not have a loving and meaningful relationship and communication with his wife or child or business partner; and it would take more nobility of character in the form of humility, patience, understanding, and courage to do whatever is necessary to rebuild that one relationship - to create a new and higher level of love and communication in the family - than to continue to labor diligently and faithfully for the many others outside of it. Ironically, bringing healing to this internal family or other vital relationship is often the most important key in being effective with the many. Going after the one is often the key to the ninety-nine. What a person /is/ teaches far more eloquently than what a person /says/ or even /does/. It communicates quietly, subtly; it is a constant radiation, and others, though unable to identify or articulate it, still understand it, sense it, absorb it, and respond to it. " -Steven R Covey, "The Divine Center"
Oftentimes we help and serve as a way of cowardly hiding from relationships. This is very risky, for relationships /are/ the gospel. We do well to examine if our personal busynesses are smokescreen and diversions from things of true(r) import.
No comments:
Post a Comment