God Is In Our Response

"I Was Sick And You Visited Me"

When we watch or hear the news we can be a bit overwhelmed with all of the negative stories. 

Once in a while we see a nice "puppy story" or a report about a person or group of people that may be working toward a better community, but there still seems to be a lot of negative incidents.

Death and violence are part of our nature, but so is life and good people working hard to better the small part of the vineyard they are in.

One such situation came to mind while I was at work the other day.  

I noticed a woman sitting on a bench under the tree with a man in a wheelchair.  It was one of those really hot and humid days and I wanted to take a few moments to appreciate the good in the world.

With so much violence in this community, one homicide occurring just a few blocks from where we were, I saw God in action.

I finished my task and took a walk across the street to spend a few moments with the two.  As I approached the two became clearer and I saw that the woman was holding the hand of the man who was physically unable to move about freely.

It reminded me of the passages in St. Matthew's Gospel, The sheep and the goats, 

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; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?…

There in the midst of a busy day was the Face of God, Christ, was sitting with a man under a tree comforting and enjoying the breeze on a summer day and I was quickly reminded that, indeed, God is alive.

People ask me all of the time; "Where is God in this messed up world?" My answer is; HE is in your response. God doesn't ask us to fix the world in a magical swing of a wand. 

You see, evil actions and events will occur.  Situations like starving children and violent acts pollute or mind everyday and we can easily become hardened to the needs of the world.

How can we cure or fix the entire world?  We can't unless we are in a position to do so, globally any way, but for most of us we are not asked to fix the world globally.  We are asked to work right where we are.

Seeing the face of God in a fellow human can be hard to see, but I wanted to share what I saw and remind you that it is not in the big things, necessarily, where we see God, but in the responses to the small things.

Spending time with each other is a wonderful way to spread love and be an example for others.

We may not be able to change the world but we can make our little part of the world a better place.

Look and you shall find!