Larry Jordan

We received several comments, online and offline, on “The Angel in the Apartment Office.” I think that some people enjoyed reading it for the same reason that I enjoyed writing it — to me, the image was both powerful and subtle, striking in its ordinariness.

Most religious traditions describe God in powerful, but subtle, strikingly ordinary terms:

In western spirituality, when Elijah seeks God on Mt. Horeb, he finds Him in the breeze, not in the earthquake or the fire or the storm.

In eastern spirituality, the Tao urges us to become like water, by avoiding confrontation,  leaving no trace, seeking low ground, and wearing down obstacles.

During my career, I helped elected and appointed officials to make difficult decisions that often involved big dollars, huge projects, and scary risks.

Although everything was discussed in public meetings and recorded in public records, but most of the heroism that I witnessed took place behind the scenes and out of the limelight.

In my retirement, I volunteer as a greeter, a playmate, a tax preparer, and a van driver. No big dollars, no huge projects, no scary risks. No public meetings, no public records.

Although everything that I do today takes place behind the scenes and out of the limelight, I still meet real heroes every day, and I still witness true heroism everywhere.

As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”