Jack Beers:
“You were talking about how people will say, "I'm just one person. What can I really do?" When holy moments get put in light of the enormous problems that are facing our culture and our world and even in the messiness of our own individual lives. And I want to circle back to that because I've heard you say that people are not just underestimating themselves. They're also underestimating God. What do you mean when you say that?”
Matthew Kelly:
“Yeah. So firstly, I think it's important to recognize that the mess was created by individuals. It wasn't some grand conspiracy. It wasn't some great collaboration of millions and millions of people getting together and saying, "All right, let's make this world a really big mess." It was individuals choosing unholy moments, turning their back on holy moments, choosing unholy moments. That created the mess. They were individual people. And it's the multiplication of individual people and their choices that led us to where we are today.
We want to believe that there's some big solution that will liberate us from taking on our personal responsibility and doing our part to bring about the desired outcome, the desired result, there isn't. The only way from where we are to where we want to be is individuals who are responsible, responding to situations in ways that improve themselves, improve other people, and improve the world, create holy moments. So I think that's the first thing that's important to understand in relation to your question.
And then in relation to the concept that we underestimate ourselves, I think that's easy for people to see. I think we see that in ourselves, but we do also underestimate God. And as a writer, my craft, my responsibility is to get you to think about ageless things in new ways. Sometimes words and phrases can do that. And life is messy. We saw that in things like, Don't Waste Your Gold Dust. Mm. Here we see it. I think in phrases like sole potential.
And we see it in the concept of don't underestimate God, because he doesn't underestimate you, and he understands your sole potential. He's not confused about that. We're the ones that are confused about that. And when we say, "I'm only one person," we're underestimating what God can do in us and through us and in collaboration with us. And there's plenty of evidence in history of how powerful that can be, when one person open themselves to God, sets their personal preferences aside, and allows God to direct the moments of their life.”
Jack Beers:
“Well, it's almost the same story, if you look at all of the saints at their core, and that's what we're looking at, right? We're looking at people who asked God, collaborated with God and set aside self-interest and then responded. That is it at its core, right? Am I missing something?”
Matthew Kelly:
“Absolutely. I didn't dream this stuff up. I just have extracted it from history and from personal experience and tried to present it in a way that people can integrate into their lives.”
Matthew Kelly
Click Here to watch the video!