The Gospel gets very, very specific in these words of Jesus – the Good News comes to individuals who are suffering in some way or other. And the way it comes is through us.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Many Christians have taken these words of Jesus to heart. It is safe to say most church outreach programs provide basic services to people in need. We serve food in shelters, and work in food pantries. We do bible studies in prisons, and run thrift shops with second-hand clothing. We make homes for refugee families and visit the sick and shut-in. These are all beautiful expression of love. If we don’t interact with people personally, though, they can easily become social services, and the church one more agency seeking donations.
Often our outreach ministries keep us disengaged from the people whom we would serve, especially if we’re mostly writing checks or dropping cans into a food basket. There can be a kindness in this, of course - this Sunday, my church will collect piles and piles of new underwear to be given to men and women who are homeless. Gathering them at church and giving them to the shelters to distribute will spare us all the awkwardness of total strangers exchanging packages of intimate apparel. But we also miss out on a real opportunity to relate as people with needs, one to another.
For we are called to help alleviate suffering as fellow sufferers, not as those who have it all together graciously bestowing charity upon the “less fortunate” (one of the least fortunate expressions known to man…) This doesn’t mean we should stay focused on suffering. It means only that we should remember our own wounds, and be on the lookout for those whose wounds God is calling us to tend.
Jesus mentions six forms of suffering that his followers could alleviate. It is not an exhaustive list. We may be called to reach out a hand of love to someone suffering despair or addiction or joblessness. Where does the Holy Spirit seem to be moving around us? Might we put our energies in those places, joining God in the work of reclaiming, restoring and renewing all people to wholeness?
If we’re drawn to certain needs, like hunger or prison ministry, how might we get personally involved, making ourselves vulnerable to and available for relationship to human beings, not just organizations?
To whom is the Spirit calling you?
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