"He who saves a life saves the world entire."

The Talmud states, "Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." ~ Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5; Babylonian Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 37a

       The latter part of the passage was the inscription on the ring given to Oskar Schindler by the 1,100 Jewish workers in his factory, those who were fortunate enough to survive the Nazi genocide (see video clip below).
       Last night we sat around the fire pit and quoted this verse as four of us considered how one person's life trajectory could be changed by our actions. I was staggered by the influence God has given human beings, how much incredible good (and bad) we actually can do.
       Of course it is never enough. Schindler saved 1,100 people, but he regretted that he did not save more. And therein lies the tension - we might do something heroic, self-sacrificial which may help someone dramatically. It might even save a life. And yet there is always another orphan, another homeless person, another wayward soul who is desperate for help.
       Perhaps this is the precise place of the People of God - the Israel of God. Ultimately only God saves, but He uses a body of His followers who are His instruments of that saving power. In this sense the Talmud is correct, with a twist: He who God uses to save a life God uses to save the world entire - which is His good plan in the end.