completely unknown

I'm grateful for the way Christmas can pull me into my past with nothing more than a song or a smell. Dusting off memories can be beautiful and painful. Dusting off books can be the same, putting me in touch once again with the insights they contain, and sometimes accompanied by a measure of regret about how much I've fumbled in my attempt to apply their insights. I've recently dusted off The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, and a particular passage touched a nerve, especially in light of Christmas.

"... as Henri Nouwen notes, the greater part of God's work in the world may go unnoticed. There are a number of people who have become famous or widely known for the ministries, but much of God's saving activity in our history could remain completely unknown. That is a mystery difficult to grasp in an age that attaches so much importance to publicity. We tend to think that the more people know and talk about something, the more important it must be."