The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So

Hear, O children of patience and perseverance, the words of Adlai Stevenson I: “The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So we must never neglect any work of peace within our reach, however small.” In these words lies the ancient wisdom that greatness does not descend in sudden glory, but is built step by step, deed by deed, choice by choice. For even the longest path, even the most radiant destiny, begins with the humblest movement forward. And when this truth is bound to the labor of peace, it becomes not only wisdom, but a summons to action.

The origin of this saying draws upon a teaching even older than Stevenson himself. In the days of ancient China, the philosopher Lao Tzu spoke of the journey of a thousand miles beginning with a single step, teaching that the vastest undertakings are born in the smallest beginnings. Stevenson, speaking centuries later, took this timeless proverb and wove it into a plea for peace. He reminded his generation that the task of preventing war and nurturing harmony among nations does not rest solely in grand treaties and proclamations, but in the small works of peace that each person can undertake.

The ancients knew this truth well. Rome was not built in a day, nor was it destroyed in a day. Great empires rise and fall not by single strokes, but by countless small decisions—some noble, some corrupt—that accumulate like drops of water until they become a flood. So too is peace crafted. It is not born whole in the halls of kings, but is cultivated in homes, in villages, in simple acts of kindness and reconciliation that ripple outward until they shape nations.

Consider the tale of Mahatma Gandhi. He did not begin with an empire at his command, nor with armies to fight his cause. He began with small acts: spinning thread by hand, marching with bare feet, speaking words of truth to ordinary people. Each act seemed humble, almost powerless, yet together they formed a journey that led to the liberation of a nation. Gandhi proved Stevenson’s wisdom: neglect no act of peace, however small, for from such acts the pillars of history are raised.

Yet the world is ever tempted by impatience. Men say, “What use is a single step? What power has one act of kindness? What weight does one voice carry against the roar of cannons?” But this is folly. For the oak begins as an acorn, the river as a trickle, the storm as a single breeze. Every small act, when joined to others, gathers strength until it reshapes the world. To neglect small works of peace is to despise the very seed of transformation.

The meaning is clear: peace is not an event, but a journey; not a monument, but a path. And it is a path open to all. You need not be a ruler or a general to walk upon it. If you offer forgiveness instead of anger, you take a step. If you share bread with the hungry, you take a step. If you teach a child to love instead of to hate, you take a step. And these steps, joined with the steps of countless others, lead not only a thousand leagues, but to the very gates of harmony among peoples.

Practical wisdom follows. Each day, ask yourself: what work of peace is within my reach? A word of encouragement, a gesture of generosity, a refusal to spread bitterness, a willingness to listen. Do not despise these small acts. Practice them faithfully, and they will multiply. For in the economy of heaven, no act of peace is wasted. Each is a stone laid upon the road that leads humanity away from war and toward reconciliation.

So remember the words of Stevenson: the journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. And remember also his charge: never neglect any work of peace within your reach. Take the step, however small, and in doing so, you join the eternal march of those who labor not for conquest, but for the healing of the world. For it is in the humble step that destiny begins, and in the smallest work of peace that the hope of nations is preserved.