The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected

by Nik Ripken

So many people with similar stories desperately needed more than the help that we were prepared to give. What they wanted even more, however, was for someone, anyone, even a stranger who was still trying to learn their language, to sit for a while, or just stand with them, and let them share their stories. I perhaps should have known this, but I was amazed to see the power of human presence. In my pride, I thought that I knew exactly what these people needed, but I never would have thought to put “conversation” or “human connection” on my list. Once again, I was profoundly humbled. I wasn’t able to listen to every story. There simply wasn’t enough time. But the stories I did hear taught me that there was much more to these suffering Somalis than their overwhelming physical needs. Their stories convinced me that it would never be enough merely to feed and shelter them. We do that much for animals.