May 2015 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

Small People and Small Things Continue from Here a great mystery becomes visible. What little we give away multiplies. This is the way of God. This is also the way we are called to live our lives. The little love we have, the little knowledge we have, the little advice we have, the little possessions we have, are given to us as gifts of God to be given away. The more we give them away, the more we discover how much there is to give away. The small gifts of God all multiply in the giving. Something of that mystery is becoming clear to me at L'Arche. How little is L'Arche! The few hunderd handicapped people who are cared for in the L'Arche foyers all over the world seem a tiny, insignificant group, considering the countless handicapped people who remain without the necessary care. Statistically, L'Arche makes little sense. And still, something of God is taking place through L'Arche. The little that L'Arche does affects people from the most different countries, religions, races, and social backgrounds. Many are fed by the little food L'Arche is giving away; not just mentally handicapped people, but also the rich, the powerful, the leaders of the church and the society, students, scholars, doctors, lawyers, magistrates, businessmen and women, and people who do not even know what a mental handicapp is. They all receive something from L'Arche and are strengthened by it. Thus the miracle of the multiplication of bread continues. It is just a question of having an eye for it.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2015. All rights reserved.