Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and

Michael W. Smith, the singer and servant of song, once declared: “Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people.” These words carry a sacred rhythm, for they remind us that change is not wrought by power alone, nor by wealth, nor even by brilliance, but by the quiet alchemy of the human heart. When the wounded are made whole, they in turn become healers; when the broken are restored, they reach out to restore others. True transformation begins not in the halls of kings but in the hearts of the once-broken who dare to give again.

The ancients themselves whispered of this truth. In the myths of Greece, the healer Asclepius was taught the arts of medicine after being saved from death, and his gift was not kept to himself but poured out upon the suffering multitudes. In the scriptures of many peoples, those who were once enslaved or oppressed often became the leaders of liberation. So it is with us: the scarred hand has more power to comfort than the untouched palm, for it speaks the language of suffering overcome. Healing births generosity, and generosity births transformation.

Think of Nelson Mandela. For twenty-seven years he sat in the iron cage of Robben Island, cut off from freedom, bruised in body but not in spirit. Many would emerge from such torment with bitterness, yet Mandela emerged with forgiveness, and in that forgiveness, he invested in his people. He turned personal healing into national transformation, binding wounds rather than tearing them open. South Africa was changed not by vengeance, but by a man who chose to sow into others what had been sown into him: dignity, hope, and reconciliation.

To invest in other people is not merely to give wealth or possessions, but to pour forth time, faith, and love. It is to look upon another and say, “Your life matters; your potential is worth my sacrifice.” This act, multiplied from one heart to another, creates revolutions greater than armies. For kingdoms built by conquest collapse, but communities built by mutual care endure. Healing is the seed, investment is the water, and transformation is the harvest.

Yet, let us not deceive ourselves—this path begins with healing. A wounded heart that refuses to mend often bleeds upon others. But the heart that has allowed itself to be mended becomes a wellspring of strength. Only those who face their sorrows and allow grace, forgiveness, or time to restore them can then turn outward to lift others. Thus, personal healing is not a selfish act, but the first step toward reshaping the world.

History tells us also of Florence Nightingale, who, amid the horrors of the Crimean War, could have turned away from the suffering of soldiers. But her compassion was rooted in her own battles with frailty and doubt. Out of her own healing came a devotion to heal others, and from that devotion arose the modern nursing profession. She is remembered not merely for tending wounds, but for igniting a movement of care that reshaped nations. Her life teaches that one healed soul can transform countless others.

The lesson, then, is this: do not wait for governments or empires to transform the world. Begin with your own healing. Seek peace for your own heart, reconcile with your past, and allow the broken places within you to be mended. Then, turn outward. Invest in your neighbor, your child, your friend, your stranger. Speak words of encouragement, offer your strength, share your wisdom, give your time. Small acts of investment, flowing from healed souls, build rivers of change.

Practical action follows naturally: Tend to your own wounds—through prayer, reflection, forgiveness, or counsel. Once you have found healing, look for one person each day in whom you might invest, whether through listening, teaching, or helping. Multiply this over a lifetime, and you will become part of a vast and quiet revolution. For indeed, as Michael W. Smith reminds us, the world is transformed not by force, but by healed hearts choosing to invest in others. And so, the torch of change is passed, from one restored soul to another, until the earth itself is renewed.