Monday, May 23, 2011

Who Have You Touched Today?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 -- Luke 4:18-19 (and Isaiah 61:1-2)

What breaks your heart? What touches you deep in your soul and brings tears to your eyes? Who pulls at your emotions?

All of us have a different button. God made us that way. Some people hurt when they see a child hurting. They get angry at anyone who harms a little one. Others get upset that people die each day because they don’t have clean drinking water. Someone else gets upset about domestic abuse. Or the elderly who have no one to care for them. Or the working poor who can’t afford the basics.

The next question is one you might have expected: What are you doing about it? No. I don’t expect you to quit your job, uproot your family and go to a foreign country to personally help people gain access to clean water. Though you could. But you also could raise money to help others do the work.

And what about in your own backyard? Could you give an elderly person a ride to the doctor’s office or the grocery store? Could you volunteer to keep a couple of small children one Saturday afternoon so a frazzled mom could have a few hours to herself? Could you help a neighbor with yard work? Or play basketball with a teenager?

Each day presents opportunities to touch the lives of those around us. Sometimes people are poor because they simply don’t have the money to pay for necessities. Other times people are poor because they are lost, alone, neglected. Either way, we can touch their lives in small ways that can have a major impact on their lives and yours.

Early in Jesus’ ministry He went into the temple in His hometown of Nazareth. He was given the scroll to read and chose this scripture from Isaiah. The poor. The captive. The blind. The oppressed. He came to set them free, to offer hope and a helping hand.

Jesus ached for the hurting. He reached out and they, in turn, flocked to Him. What about you? Who have you reached out to today? Who has seen your kindness, your compassion, your helpfulness? Who has seen Jesus in you?