Being and Doing – 4 May – Commonplace People

THE existence of very insignificant people has very important consequences in the world.   It can be shown to affect the price of bread and the rate of wages, to call forth many evil tempers from the selfish, and many heroisms from the sympathetic, and, in other ways, to play no small part in the tragedy of life.

GEORGE ELIOT

WISDOM will never let us stand with any man or men on an unfriendly footing.   We refuse sympathy and intimacy with people as if we waited for some better sympathy or intimacy to come!   But whence?   And when?   To-morrow will be like to day.   Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live.

EMERSON

ONE of her chief characteristics was her habit of always seeing the best in people, and more than that, of drawing forth whatever was best in them.   Under her influence people seemed to become what she expected them to be.   She eminently believed in goodness, and always created it by her faith.

From Life of Annie Keary

oooOOOooo

These quotes are from ‘Being and Doing’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1908 for members of the Being and Doing Guild whose object is to do all they can for the relief of suffering and misery.

Most of the writers are 19th Century Christians from Britain and Europe who were committed to living their faith through deeds as well as words – Being AND Doing.

For many years these words have kept me company and encouraged me on the journey of faith.  I hope they will encourage others also.