From: Evan Almighty
Genre: Movies
Who said it?: God and Evan Baxter
The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the 2007 fantasy comedy, Evan Almighty. A sequel to Bruce Almighty, this movie focuses on Evan Baxter, a former news reporter now Congressman, moves to a new town. Evan prays to God that he changes the world. God then goes to Evan and tasks him to build an ark as in the story of Noah in the Bible, despite the fact the town is landlocked.
The quote is actually foreshadowed early on in the film. God (played by Morgan Freeman) manages to convince Evan (played by Steve Carell) he is God. Evan complains that he has no idea on how to even begin to build an ark. God replies this is like how some people want to change the world but don’t know how to begin. God then states the way to change the world is through “one act of random kindness“.
At the end of the film, the ark does prove its worth when the local dam bursts and manages to save the residents of the town. Evan then meets up with God and he relates how he resisted throughout the entire process but, because everyone was saved, he is relieved he followed God’s instructions. God then says Evan did change the world in other ways, such as spending time with his family and saving a dog. Evan dismisses this as these were very tiny things. This is when God delivers the first part of the quote and Evan replies with the second part.
Geek wisdom: We do not have to make big moves to make an impact. Even the smallest actions, despite feeling miniscule, can affect the world at large. Never minimize the things that you do as what you do does matter.
