“Do you know who you are to this hurting world? You are Jesus to them. Where I live that might mean sharing some rice or offering a job to a father who cannot feed his family. In your world it may look different…”
Since the beginning of the New Year, we have been focusing on two main things in the church: developing love and unity among us, and reaching out with love and unity to those around us. Through this very difficult time of drought, the Church continues to bring of what they have to put in the offering. This we are using to buy food so that the Lord’s house may always have something to share with those who are struggling. Some people, however, can’t make it to the church and the Church must go to them.
After the service on Sunday, the church committee headed out with some rice to visit the blind and handicapped in surrounding communities. My heart broke as, upon returning, my mom shared with me about the people they visited. In one house they found two handicapped men. The more mobile of the two does his best to care for the one who is bedridden. In a time when even the strong and healthy are struggling to survive, the weak have little hope. The men could not remember the last time they had a meal. The rice that the committee left was not just a nice thought. It was life to these two who are so close to starvation. The committee went on to visit nine more blind or handicapped men and women. At one house after another, as they realized we had brought them some food, they would raise their hands and say, “Thank you, Jesus!” Most of these people are not Christians and have spent their lives in voodooism to one level or another. But upon this act of mercy, they praised Jesus.
As my mom recounted all of this, I thought of Jesus’ response to John the Baptist when he asked, “Are you the one to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus answered,
Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. (Mathew 11:2-5)
Jesus cared, not just for people’s souls, but about their physical suffering as well. While we don’t have the ability to heal these people, we can bring them face to face with the love of Jesus Christ just by sharing a little food. This food not only eases their hunger and strengthens their bodies, it shows them that they have value and are loved. They know that no one is giving of their excess to share this food. Some of the people who went visiting returned to no food in their own homes.
I write all of this today, not to ask for money, but to ask a question: Do you know who you are to this hurting world? You are Jesus to them. Where I live that might mean sharing some rice or offering a job to a father who cannot feed his family. In your world it may look different, but I am sure there are people who are hurting and people in need around you too. Wherever you are, you can cause people to praise God through your actions toward them. May we all take seriously the roll that Christ has entrusted to us to bring His love to a hurting world.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5: 14-16)
~Manis Dilus
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