I LOVE the stories about Christian heroes, the saints and martyrs. Their testimonies inspire and challenge us.
When hearing these stories, some may wonder, what about me? Am I doing enough to spread the Good News and to reduce the misery in this world? Should I go to poor places or persecuted lands to serve God?
Maybe you should. Certainly not enough people get involved. But before you go, think about this.
Is there a need where you are now or closeby? Of course there is. No doubt the Lord desires to send his Body out to the entire world. And the need is everywhere.
There, at the office, store, or hospital you work at. There, at the construction site, on the street corner, in the school. There, at your dinner table, in your home. There, staring at you in the mirror.
If you open your eyes and your heart, you will see tremendous need. Right there in front of you.
So I ask, O Lord, send your Body. Send healing. Send freedom.
Send us, O Lord, out to the street corners, squares, and shops, to the places of government, to the slums where poverty abounds.
Send us to the hospitals and prisons, to the hidden corners where someone’s daughter or son sleeps on the floor, where some ingest or inject poison to numb the pain.
Send us to the neighborhoods, countryside, and cities, any place where a human soul might hunger and thirst.
Let us go with open arms, bringing food, work, money, and ideas to help people get back on their feet and live with dignity.
Let us go forth to find Christ in our neighbor and serve him faithfully, lovingly.
Let your Body go forth, O Lord, to share the Good News that you free us from the death of sin.
Let us not be afraid to denounce evil, even if it’s just by doing good.
Let us understand and admit that corruption takes on many forms, and just because everybody does it never makes it right.
May our righteousness shine, O Lord, not because we are better, but because we have been broken and restored.
Throughout history, in the concentration camps and gulags, taking a step sideways could be lethal. Change position and you might move closer to torture and death.
But by stepping forward, you might also cover someone else.
Our instinct is to survive and thrive. Still, in the camps, some provided cover for someone else’s son or daughter.
They moved out of their comfort zone. And they faced down evil with a prayer on their lips.
How much time, effort, and money do I spend to maximize my comfort? How much do I spend on alleviating the pain of others?
Do I tilt the scales in my favor? Do I spend too much time in my comfort zone? I know I do.
Most Christians aren’t heroes. We’re everyday people with everyday problems. But we can do more to help.
Even just a little bit, multiplied many times, makes a huge difference. Just a bit more faith filled prayer, multiplied many times, can move mountains.
I’m not saying to give your life, but we can give more of ourselves. The poor and vulnerable have always been the Lord’s priority. What’s ours?
The blood of the martyrs cries out to us. The testimony of the saints confronts us.
How will the followers of Christ answer?
How will we respond to the Lord when he cries out to us for help?
Find a real, concrete way. He is waiting for you.
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‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:35-36, 40
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