Book Review: Something Beautiful for God

Something Beautiful for God by Malcom Muggeridge

This book was originally published in 1971 and, apparently, was one of the very first books documenting Mother Teresa's work in Calcutta. It was republished in 2003 when she was beatified and I picked it up at a store-closing sale. (I hate when bookstores close, but I do like to buy their books when they do.) It's a short book and fairly easy to read, though there is much to ponder so it's worth spending some time on it.

The author quotes Mother Teresa "On Silence:"

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature -- trees, flowers, grass -- grow in silence; see the stars, the moon and sun, how they move in silence. Is not our mission to give God to the poor in the slums? Not a dead God, but a living, loving God. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within -- words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

This is a succinct explanation on why we need to pray and that the result of prayer is the ability to better do God's work on earth.

In an interview with the author, she says:

I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual. To get to love the person we much come in contact with him. If we wait till we get the numbers, then we will be lost in the numbers. And we will never be able to show that love and respect for the person. I believe in person to person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is only one person in the world for me at that moment.

In a world where everything must be supported by data, it's refreshing and important to remember that people are not numbers. Each person is loved into existence by God and must be greeted and loved and respected.

Blessed Teresa is not universally respected (though she perhaps is the closest person we have to such a thing in modern times), but there is no doubt that reading about her life is inspiring.