in considering the call to the ordinary life (as opposed to the many calls to “change the world” and “make a difference” which really are about making your mark in history as if you didn’t already by your very existence), implicit in that call is to be content…to not always be looking for more. My concern is that the call to ordinary, to living in the space we are in, responding to what is before us, too easily leads us to living in a way that is unresponsive to the majority of people beyond us who long to have an “ordinary” life but instead their lives are filled with suffering, oppression, subsistence living – no, not living…survival…existence – completed by cruel, isolated and forgotten deaths – the only one hearing their voice, their cry for hope in the midst of despair and hopelessness and helplessness, being the One who made them.
I read someone’s comments on the psychology of genocide last night and was struck by his opening quote of Stalin, “a single death is a tragedy. A million is a statistic.” The writer also quoted Mother Theresa, “If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.”
I am on a journey learning to see “the one” in the tension of living an ordinary life that no longer satisfies, not because I am not content, but because there is a world of “ones” we – I – have been blind and deaf to and don’t want to be anymore.
Reflections and Explorations 
Yes, here’s to seeing the “one” in front of us and actually responding – that will turn into no ordinary life if we do that. Sometimes when I am burdened by the “masses” in need, I don’t have energy for the one.
We can so easily get caught up in the ‘stress’ of our own lives, that we can find ourselves being the ‘one’ who needs to be rescued. Just yesterday, without sharing openly that life is somewhat overwhelming right now, a friend asked if she could pray over me. She used the word ‘gift’ in her prayer….. God used this word ‘gift’ to remind me that I was trying to control my life circumstances (again), instead of trusting in Him. As long as I am in control………..I can’t see the outcome, whatever it may be, as a Gift from Him. May His peace within, consume all our hearts.
Reminds me of the quote “everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change themself.” I often find, with regard to evangelism, people are more interested in saving the world rather than saving their next door neighbour.