Olaudah Equiano

I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the minutest occurrence and to learn from it a lesson of morality or religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by its observation we become better and wiser, and learn to “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God”? To those who are possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the treasure of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away.