We could all stand to read more Henri Nouwen...

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people,
enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known
as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time
to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple
as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or do be
part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by
meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking
the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people
around and urgent cause, and not to feel tha tyou are working directly for
social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't
be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their
stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs
that you do not simply like them, but truly love them."

Henri Nouwen