Friday, June 4

Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look around and take note! Search its squares and see if you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth—so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
—Jeremiah 5:1

It’s often difficult to assess if we make a difference in the world. We wonder what our purpose is and how one small person could ever really impact the transformation of human existence. Will anyone know about or even recall our contribution once we have died and become one with the dust of the earth? 

We read books, we go to therapists, we analyze our lives, we participate in groups, we join churches—hoping that somewhere in the mix we will find that our lives matter after all.

In the eyes of the Holy One it takes only one action on the part of one human being to change the course of history. Even when the world is a mess, and justice has been trampled, when destruction and fear are all around, one person who seeks truth is enough to set things right again. It seems impossible,and because it seems impossible, we are deterred from being that one person. 

But what if it were possible? What if we were the one seeking truth and the whole world was running to and fro in search of us in order for balance to be restored? We just might find our purpose in life. We just might seek truth as we’ve never sought truth before. We just might immerse ourselves in that search and forget to question the logic of the mysterious ways of God.

O God, let the smallest actions of my life be a part of the balancing of the entire creation.

These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2004.