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Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
-Luke 10:36-37
"You say you love the poor. Name them."
Peruvian Priest
My dear friend Joel and I were in youth ministry in the small town some years ago now. He went on to be active in freeing kids from child trafficking. He shared this quote with me and it was a constant reminder to not just serve the poor, but become a brother to them and make their struggle my own, their reality a part of mine. I came across the quote again this week and thought of how much I miss my friends from the shelter at First Pres. I miss Freddie who checked on me like a dad, asking how my boys were. I miss Marilyn who would ask me for ties and bow ties for her grandsons when they had graduations. I miss Rainbow who used to give my oldest son complicated breakfast orders of fancy foods and garnishes, even though the food was the same each Sunday morning.
This challenged me. I’m confident that the decisions of our partner organizations to operate differently in Covid has been wise. I’m confident our decisions as staff, session, and the parents and kids in the youth group to be cautious have been wise. I’m also confident that as we are vaccinated and protocols are implemented, we need to return to the work that needs doing to serve and become brothers and sisters to the least of these, to learn their names and stories. The work may look different now, but we are called to it. We must be wise and safe, respecting the health of those we serve, who often will be the last to receive medical attention and vaccines, but also as quick to give help as we can.
When you receive your vaccination, I know you’ll make a mental list of things you can do, people you can see, and ways you can return to “normal life.” I hope you’ll think of this moment and name the people you can serve. And if you don’t know them by first name yet, come see me, come join me, and I’ll introduce you. I’ve introduced many of our youth. This year, whether it’s back to normal or a new normal for you, seek to serve. We have a lot of work to do.
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