It was hot and humid at the Westhaven orphanage in a remote area of Jamaica. We all interacted with the children, but I spent most of my time remodeling their facilities. Christy did the more important task of feeding and caring for the residents.
At the end of one day she shared with me her difficult challenge of feeding a young adult male that was an invalid and couldn’t eat solid food or feed himself. She did it at first imagining herself as Jesus caring for a beloved child of God. As she was feeding him that slowly changed as she realized that it wasn’t Jesus feeding this young man, she was feeding Jesus. “I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
These orphans became Jesus for us. Jesus was the crippled and deformed children in wheelchairs. Jesus was the mentally handicapped children that couldn’t talk or communicate. Jesus was the emotionally disturbed children screaming in frustration and anger one moment and singing for joy the next.
We didn’t need to bring Jesus, he was already there. They loved on us the first minute we walked in, and wanted to go home with us when we left. I didn’t feed Jesus, but Jesus held my hand and hugged me tightly.
Imagine a world where everyone was loved and cared for as we would love and care for Jesus himself. We then would honor and respect one another without thought of our differences and disagreements. Our world seems to be filled with fear and contention right now, and we can change that with our attitudes and actions. It is not about us, it is about us together.
I would invite us to join Christy feeding Jesus. We don’t have to go to Jamaica, but we can. Jesus is right here.
I will see you in church. Remember, God loves us more than we can ever imagine, and I love you too!
Tom