While
we may not have close contact with strangers in those situations, as
Christians, we are called to find ways to minister to others we may not
know. Ministry to the elderly, the
homeless, the sick, the needy, those in prison, victims of fire and windstorm,
single parent families, those with drug and alcohol addictions and children
with educational and behavior issues are only a part of the larger list of
opportunities for our ministry. Just relying on the media to help us understand
about what people go through is not really knowing them or understanding what
their lives are like. Of course, we must also be aware of opportunities for
ministry with people we encounter in everyday life situations. Maybe folks that
God has led to us or us to them.
Recently,
a close friend shared a quotation from a book published in 1869 titled “The
Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress,” written by famous American author
and humorist Mark Twain. He wrote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and
narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.
Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by
vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
In
a letter written by Mr. Twain in 1867 he stated, “nothing
so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as
travel and contact with many kinds of people.”
While Mark Twain’s thoughts about travel pertain
mostly to getting to know people in other places and so to love and understand
them better, I think it applies even in our own communities. If we sit at home
and don’t use our volunteer time to get to know and help others, we are not
“traveling” in our own area of living. We just rely on the media to inform us
about what is going on. This deprives us, and those we might contact, the joys
of understanding each other, and helping and being helped.
Holy Scripture informs us in this traveling thing
and especially in Matthew 25:35-40 when Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me.’
Then
the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison
and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did
it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Through
outreach ministry at my church, we have experienced some humbling things
regarding helping others. We have learned much from those with problems in
their lives. While support money and tangible items for living are appreciated,
the fact that we have been willing to interact with them through sharing and
joint bible study really makes a difference for them.
In
another outreach situation we were blessed by the needy giving back to us. As
sometimes happens, on any given day that we hand out free bags of groceries, we
ran out of bags while there were still a few folks waiting for a bag. One of
our brothers shared with our church the following: “There was a special blessing this morning. The
last car asking for food was told there was no more food. She reached
deep into her purse and donated $5.00 to the church. What better
Christian love than the 'widow's mite'?"
So let’s keep our
“traveling bags” packed, reach out, and get to know our brothers and sisters in
our communities and beyond. The blessings go both ways. All are blessed in the
uniting of the children of God.
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