BREAKING BREAD WITH FRIENDS

NATHANIEL WILDER—ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

During a visit to the village of Imilchil, high in the Middle Atlas Mountains of central Morocco, a friend and I were reminded that comfort and hospitality are not limited by an apparent lack of abundance.

One early afternoon as we strolled up through a mostly deserted valley, we spotted a shepherd higher up on a hillside, casually tending a flock of sheep. He whistled to get our attention. Excited that we were wandering through his part of the mountain, he motioned us to follow him. He told us his name was Mohammed, and invited us over for tea. And soon we were sitting inside his low-roofed, mud-constructed retreat, as he served us Morocco's ubiquitous mint tea and stove-baked flat bread from a knitted bag he kept hung on the wall.

This photograph captures that moment. It will always remind me of Mohammed's generosity of spirit and the kind of love that I know comes to us all from God. There was no need for our friend's face to be shown. His gesture told it all. But what made this moment special for us, was that he was giving of himself to relative strangers who had done nothing for him. And in this way, he was expressing the goodness inherent in every individual on the planet.

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