Tuesday; July 21

          A while back I preached a sermon about how important it is to reach out to those in need.  As a part of the text for my sermon I cited an example of Jesus being approached by a leper asking to be healed.  Matthew records, “Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3).   I went on to teach that if we want to make a difference in the lives of people who are struggling, we have to be willing to reach out to them and even touch them.  I may be dreaming, but I think I may have even gotten an “Amen” or two with that point.  My, how things have changed in the last few months!  The call to help people might still be there, but personal interaction with them is bordering on a social taboo.  I have wondered what would have happened if Jesus would have been seen healing and touching someone with a virus in today’s climate?
          Folks, I am not interested in a debate about what we should do and shouldn’t do – quite honestly because I don’t know what the right answer is.  Should we help others?  Should we protect ourselves?  Should we be around those who need physical contact to feel loved or should we distance ourselves and, in return, risk increasing their feelings of loneliness and isolation? 
          We have been told that Christianity isn’t easy and here is another example of the challenges we face.  As we process through this, let’s take into consideration Jesus’ actions and society’s concerns.  Maybe the best we can do is heed the advice that is captured in I Corinthians 16:14 in the biblical paraphrase called “The Voice”, “Let love prevail in your life, words, and actions.”.  I am definitely not going to tell you what this means in your life because I am still trying to figure it out in mine. 
         Think About It!

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