Kissed by the Spirit

“They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.”

Mark 6:52 (NAB)

I spent enough time taking Chicago public transportation during my youth and college years, to learn the lessons about the indifference of hardened hearts in a large, crowded city. 

I used to take the public transit system to the University of Illinois Chicago campus every day. After school, I took another train from the college campus to downtown Chicago, where I worked part time in the Advertising department of a department store. 

The trains were always crowded, but on a good day, I could be lucky enough to get a seat and sit down for the ride. Otherwise, I would have to stand in place and just hold on. 

That particular train ride made some sharp turns while moving fast, and someone could easily lose their balance while standing.

One day, I got on the train and was fortunate enough to get a seat. The next few stops became increasingly crowded, and the train was soon full of people standing. An elderly man who was standing as the train made a sharp turn, suddenly fell down to his hands and knees. I saw him fall, but was not within immediate reach of him, since a crowd of people were between us. I naturally assumed that someone nearer to him would help him back on his feet. 

While on his hands and knees, the man reached for a pole to hold on to, but each time he almost grabbed hold of it, the train turned again, and he fell back down. He was still on his hands and knees, as he tried once more, to grab hold of the nearby pole, but as he reached for it, the train made another sharp turn and he fell down again. Anyone who wasn’t reading or sleeping, was well aware of that poor man’s plight, but they all seemed to watch with indifference. 

I imagine that anyone reading this, by now is wondering if anyone ever helped the man, and the answer is no, and not one word was ever spoken, neither by the man himself nor anyone around him. It was the strangest few minutes of silence that I had ever witnessed, which is why I still remember it so many years later.

After spending a few minutes on his hands and knees, with no help from anyone, the man was finally able to pull himself up to a standing position. It was the most vivid illustration of apathy, that I had ever seen. 

I remember feeling sorry for the man as he struggled, but I resigned myself to being too far away to actually help him. I could and should have probably shouted out, 

“Will someone please help him!” 

But instead, I said and did nothing, hoping that someone else would. Apparently, everyone on the train was thinking the same way. 

An attitude of indifference, numbs and hardens hearts, adopting an attitude of letting someone else take action. Even though I had a voice, I chose to remain silent. 

In reflecting on that Chicago train incident, it reminds me of the Holocaust, and how easy it is to detach oneself from people in a crowd. European citizens watched in silence while a crowd of Jewish men, women and children were put on trains, and sent to death camps. 

Jesus Himself suffered indifference and apathy during His trial and crucifixion. While most of His followers supported Him, He also had enemies who were enraged and wanted Him dead. Then there was the silent majority, who numbed themselves and didn’t care either way. When it comes to God or the suffering of human beings that He created, indifference becomes a poisonous apathy. 

After my wake up call on that downtown train that day, I decided to become involved in an international Christian group that works on behalf of people suffering religious persecution in the world.

Mark wrote in today’s gospel verse that people disregarded the miracle of the multiplied loaves, and as a result, their “hearts were hardened.” In not appreciating the miracle of the loaves, the real problem was an indifference and apathy toward the needs of the crowd. Jesus always had compassion for the crowd, and He wants us to see Him as someone in that crowd.  

I think of the miracles that could happen, if people like me on that train, had stepped into action on behalf of someone in the crowd.  

Lord, help us to awaken to who you want us to see in the crowd around us. Remove indifference and apathy from our hearts and help us to act with compassion towards others. Amen

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 (RSV)

It doesn’t take a psychiatrist or an ordained minister to know that the world is full of heartache, sorrow and tears, yet most people don’t know that God knows about it all first hand. He feels our pain and knows everything that has caused us grief. Jesus said in His revelation to John that He will personally wipe every tear away. 

Painful circumstances and sorrows that we suffer are shared by those who care for us. We have friends and loved ones who know about our loss or sorrow, and there is some comfort in that support, but there is a silent aching that remains deep within every one of us. That silent ache is understood by heaven alone. 

Jesus is in tune with every pain and sorrow that we keep hidden from our public self. Our guardian angel also knows the hidden sorrows that we live with. We can still function in all the ways we need to, and live as normally as we can, but a silent ache resides within us. 

The silent ache may be from losing a loved one, suffering a miscarriage, or from the death of a young child, but Jesus is completely in tune with the deepest sorrow that we keep silent. 

It could be a situation that leaves us feeling we are alone as we struggle, such as raising a physically or mentally challenged child, or caring for a terminally ill loved one. It might be some type of depression that can’t be overcome. Some people have sorrow after losing a soul mate, while others have a sorrow of never finding a true soul mate. Some thought they found a soul mate but that relationship is currently strained beyond words.

Widows and widowers see other couples united in the bond of love through to their old age, and know that those couples are especially blessed. Some things are more deeply appreciated when they’ve been lost. The chronically ill see the healthy ones all around them enjoying life to its fullest. Those who struggle with depression see lighthearted people filled with joy. If we are human, we can admit that there are silent aches within all of us, from something that we lack. 

God wants us to know that He sees our silent aches, He knows what we feel we are lacking, and He will wipe away all tears one day, but until that day, He wants to be the One who fills every void of whatever we are lacking today. 

We have an awesome God, who knows every detail of our lives. His wisdom, power and love is beyond words, but is a healing balm for the silent aches that we have deep within. God is interested in every part of us, not just the outward adjusted self that we show to the world. He is a searcher of hearts and a healer of our mind, body, soul and spirit. 

Jesus wants to reveal Himself to us in a new way today, even before He returns to wipe away all our sorrows and tears. There is a place of inner healing that occurs here and now, when we give Him all of our silent aches, because He already knows about everything.

In all God has done, is doing now, and will do in our future, He does it all out of pure wisdom, power and love for us. His healing and comfort is available for today. 

Lord, thank you for knowing and feeling all of our silent pain. We give every moment of grief and sorrow to you and surrender to your divine healing and comfort. Amen 

(This classic worship song, made new, says it all)

Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (Official Music Video) – YouTube

“I gave my back to the smiters,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face

from shame and spitting.”

Isaiah 50:6 (RSV)

The words above are sung as part of every Handel’s Messiah concert, but this scripture, minus the music, came to my mind while watching a scene from the “Passion of Christ”, last week. 

After His arrest, Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin and proclaimed that He is the Messiah, who will sit at the right hand of God. (Matthew 26:64) 

Those words provoked the Pharisees and High priest to intense anger, and they charged Jesus with blasphemy. 

It led up to one scene in the movie  that really stuck with me. It was when the Pharisees and High priest spat in His face, one by one. It was humiliating enough to be spat upon, but even worse when a person’s hands are tied. Jesus couldn’t even wipe the spit off of His own face. 

It occurred to me during that heartbreaking scene, that Jesus offered His face first, long before He offered the rest of His body on the cross. It reminded me of the words of Isaiah, “I hid not My face from shame and spitting….”

Jesus resolved Himself to complete humility, as if to empty Himself of the divinity of who He really was. Some people claim that Jesus suffered because He was at the wrong place at the wrong time in history, but that ideology minimizes the greatness of His love, His incarnation, His purpose and the giving of His face and body for us. 

On the contrary, Jesus was at the right place at exactly the right time, just like the ram that God sent and trapped in the thick bushes for Abraham to offer as a sacrifice, instead of his only son, Isaac.

By not hiding His face, Jesus submitted Himself to humiliation, taking our shame upon Himself, so that we never need to feel the shame of sin again. He never hid His face then and He doesn’t hide it from anyone today. The passion of Christ teaches us that whatever difficulties we have, His face should always be the first thing we seek. 

The ancient Jewish temple had a designated place for sacred bread, known as the Bread of the Presence, which literally translates to Bread of the Face, meaning the face of God. (Paniym). 

Jesus is the living Bread of the Presence. He is the face of God to the world, and yet the same face that men once spat upon. He never hid His face then and He will never hide His face from us now, but He earnestly desires to reveal Himself to all who seek Him. It’s hard to believe that God could love us this much, but He did then and He still does today. 

Lord, thank you for first offering your holy face, so that we may always remember to seek your face first, in difficult times, knowing you gave yourself up for us as an act of divine love. Amen

“Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.  A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.”

Acts 5:15-16.  (NAB)

People come to Jesus just as they are, filled with gifts and potential buried within them, which the Holy Spirit develops over time. Before Pentecost, Peter had a history of always being on the wrong page of God’s play book. He tried to convince Jesus not to go to the cross, he drew a sword and cut off a man’s ear, he denied knowing Jesus all together, and for a while, he was prejudiced against gentiles joining the church. (Acts 10:28)

The women of the gospel seemed to follow Jesus more easily, being the last ones with Him at the cross and the first ones at His tomb on Sunday morning. They always believed, comforted, and served. Even the wife of Pontius Pilate tried to influence her husband into sparing Jesus’ life. 

Whether we identify with the women  of the gospel or with the raw instability of Peter, every believer experienced a major transformation in the upper room. The Holy Spirit saw the need to fill everyone on Pentecost, whether they were steadfast in their faith or weak and struggling. 

Afterward, they overflowed with renewed joy and courage. God sees the same potential in all of us, that He saw in Peter and those in the upper room.

The astonishing change in Peter can be read about in the book of Acts. The quick tempered and carnal minded disciple became a man of God, who had a crowd waiting for him everywhere he went. People weren’t just waiting for Peter to preach, pray or lay hands and heal them, they were waiting for his shadow.

The Spirit anointed Peter so that when he walked down the street, his shadow was cast over the sick who were lying on mats, and they were “all cured.” Jesus told His disciples that one day they will do greater things than He did, because they will do it in His name.

(John 14:12) 

It must have been incredible to see the healing power of Christ working through the shadow of Peter.

If Peter could be so transformed, so can anyone. There is a renewed Peter waiting inside each one of us. 

We have our own unique shadow to cast, which brings glory to Jesus. It may not be a shadow that physically heals people. Maybe our shadow is one that simply listens, encourages, or inspires the faith of others. Some people reveal the shadow of God’s mercy by seeing a need and starting a new ministry, or by giving financial help to organizations that minister in various ways. So many different gifts of the Spirit are waiting to be expressed through each person’s shadow. 

If we learn anything from Peter’s transformation, it’s that God never gives up on anyone, regardless of how often they mess up. When we stumble in error like Peter, the Lord is patient and forgiving, helping us to rise back up again. He loves us while making us the best version of ourselves, so that we can cast our shadow for Christ, wherever we go.

Lord, show us how we may cast our shadow for your glory as you continue transforming us to become all that you called us to be. Amen

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” 

1 Samuel 1:27-28 (NIV)

The words above are the words of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who was once barren, but became the mother of one of the greatest prophets in ancient Israel. Her words reflect the heart of all mothers, in knowing that a child is a gift from the Lord, and to be dedicated and given back to the Lord, throughout their life. 

I was visiting the Nursing Home on Easter weekend, where there are only two other residents, who are around my son’s age. Andy is one, who is 43, whose parents I’ve already met and bonded with. The other man is also 43, who I will call Adam, to protect his privacy. 

Last weekend I met Adam’s mom for the first time. Adam has a chronic kidney disease and is currently in kidney failure. He receives dialysis regularly, while hoping for a kidney transplant one day. His mom and I introduced ourselves, making small talk on that Saturday before Easter.

We were having a nice visit, when Adam suddenly became angry at another resident. I could see that his mom was uncomfortable with his behavior, and tried to gently tell him to let it go, but he quickly snapped at her as well. Her eyes and mine met, and without saying a single word, I gave her a look from one mother to another, to let her know that I felt her embarrassment and frustration. She seemed to return the glance, as if she received my empathy and understanding. Words were not needed. 

It’s almost mystical how mothers instinctively understand each other, and communicate without words, especially mothers of an adult child with an illness, emotional problem or a mental health issue.

Later that afternoon, when some relatives were visiting Jon, I was telling them about my frustration over his recent behavior, which has regressed for the past few weeks. He’s been agitated, uncooperative, and making the nurses’ jobs very difficult. The doctor is trying to adjust his medications, until he returns to the good progress he started making several weeks earlier. 

Adam’s mom must have been listening to me while I expressed myself to those relatives. When it was time to leave, I was walking to my car in the parking lot and Adam’s mom called me over to her car. I thought she was gone, since she left several minutes before me. She told me she wanted to pray for me and Jon, saying that she understood my frustration, from one mother to another. 

While I was standing at the rolled down window of her car, she took my hand and prayed for me and Jon, and for Adam and herself as well. It was a blessing since I only just met her a few hours ago. Then we parted and wished each other a happy Easter. 

As I drove home, I realized that my whole interaction with Adam’s mom was an Easter gift from God. We just met, yet connected with each other’s inner grief, in a way that is beyond words. When two strangers can share mutual feelings through an unspoken language, it’s nothing other than a blessing from God. We were total strangers, but connected through eye contact, facial expressions, and then concluded it with a prayer. 

Every mother gives their child to the Lord, and trusts Him with their life, which doesn’t end in adulthood. Whatever their age, medical history, behavior or diagnoses, mothers still need to dedicate their children to God for a lifetime. Then the Lord comforts us by bringing others across our path to give moral and emotional support. 

Lord, whether we are mothers or not, help each reader to commit their children, their loved ones or their close friends to you, trusting that you will bring peace and harmony to every life, through the power of Jesus’ name. Amen

“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

Matthew 27:66 (NIV)

The Pharisees feared the rumors of resurrection and asked Pilate to help secure Jesus’ tomb, so he granted their request to seal the tomb and appoint an armed guard at the entrance. After studying to learn what this “seal on the tomb” actually entailed, I learned the following:

They stretched a cord across the large stone which blocked the entrance to the tomb. Then they packed clay over each end of the cord, and pressed a wax seal over the clay, which was the seal of the Roman government authority. Finally, they posted an armed guard each day, in front of the tomb for 24 hours.

All these measures to guard the tomb, appeared to work until the third day, as Jesus predicted. On the third day of that Jerusalem spring morning, the earth quaked, the stone was rolled away, the cord was broken and all the wax seals crumbled. The armed guards fell into a deep sleep, probably anesthetized by angels.

Inside the open tomb lay nothing but the grave clothes of Jesus. That separate cloth that was used to cover His head, (sudarium) to hold the jaw closed, was lying apart from the 14 foot cloth (shroud) that covered both His head and body.  

(John 20:7)

There is no power known to man like the blast of resurrection power that resurrected the body of God’s son that morning. No government seals of authority, armed guard, or a massive stone could prevent a God of love from finishing His plan of salvation for us. 

The analysis of the shroud of Turin by forensic scientists, gives us a hint of that mysterious, powerful surge. Other bodies wrapped in grave clothes never left the type of image on a burial cloth as the shroud of Turin has. 

Scientists all agree that the image was not a painted one, since there is no evidence of pigment on the shroud. The first carbon dating found it to be only 700 years old, but that first sample was taken from a tainted, frequently handled portion, which was patched after surviving two fires. The flax in the linen cloth was from first century Palestine. The coins placed over the eyes to keep them closed according to custom, date back to the time of Pontius Pilate. 

There are blood stains all around the shroud but the image was not made from blood. In one documentary, a scientist said it seemed as if a blast of ultraviolet light, of a single wavelength, projected from the body, outward, and onto the inside of the burial cloth. He describes the mysterious image as similar to an Xray, a photographic negative and a hologram, all merged into one. There is no technology that could recreate such an image today. 

The blood type on the cloth is AB positive, and while the bloodstains match a death by crucifixion and scourging, some questioned why the blood on the shroud remained red in color, since blood turns brown or black over time. 

Dr. Alan Adler, a hematologist, who studied the shroud, answered that question, explaining that a person who is tortured for many hours would release bilirubin from the liver, causing their blood to permanently remain red.

Whether people agree or not on the credibility of the shroud, all believers can agree that the resurrection of Jesus came from the same Source who once said, “Let there be light” and there was light. 

We thank God and celebrate the resurrection that changed the world, and brought forgiveness, hope and new life to every person who believes in His life, death and resurrection. The world has never been the same and lives are still being changed as a result of that empty tomb, 2,000 years ago. 

His resurrection opens doors in our journey of faith, since the source of God’s power that raised Jesus, also dwells in us. Any cord of fear that had a grip on us is now broken. The clay seals of doubt crumble into dust. Powers and principalities of darkness can no longer control us. The healing power of Jesus is for anyone who believes, and there is more power in His blood, than any authorities or words of wisdom in the entire world.

On this Easter Monday, we continue to follow Jesus, who left His tomb, leaving His grave clothes behind, as we also leave our grave clothes behind, to live in His resurrection power, until He returns again. Hallelujah! He is risen. 

Lord, thank you for salvation and for  resurrection power that brings us healing, deliverance and victory. We give you all the praise and glory. Amen

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Matthew 16:21 (RSV)

Jesus fully warned His disciples about what was about to happen to Him, in advance. They heard Him talk about suffering and dying, but also rising again on the third day. It doesn’t get much clearer than that, but it’s obvious that they didn’t comprehend what He was telling them.

The disciples still didn’t get it, based on their skeptical response to Mary’s news that Jesus had risen, on that Sunday morning. Thomas claimed he will believe it, when he feels it with his own hands. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples never recognized as He walked alongside them. The tone of His voice became familiar, when He broke the bread, prayed and ate with them. That was their moment of revelation.

Faith shouldn’t rely on the senses, and yet we are all sensual beings. The bible defines faith as the assurance of things not seen, but when it came to the resurrection of Jesus, most of the disciples needed to see, hear, touch and feel it, to believe it. 

Even after Jesus told them ahead of time that he would rise on the third day, the disciples probably forgot everything, because they were so traumatized by seeing the intensity of all that Jesus suffered.

If they had remembered what Jesus said about rising, they would have camped out at His tomb on the third day. Instead, the reaction of His disciples was just as the prophet foretold, “Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered.” (Zechariah 13:7)

Like the disciples, we have all lived through a Friday in our lives where our hopes were shattered and we were overwhelmed with grief and disappointment. It leaves us feeling like all our dreams were sealed away in a tomb somewhere, but we need to rely on His truth, not our feelings.

Friday is not the end of the story. We have a living hope within us, of resurrection, eternal life and the day we meet Jesus, be made whole and see our lost loved ones again. God was loving us through all of those difficult Fridays of our lives. Friday is good because Sunday is coming. Even today, Jesus stands before us saying, “Trust Me, I have good plans for you, follow Me and I will take care of you.” 

Lord, our living hope is in you, our resurrected, merciful Savior. Remind us that whatever Friday looks like in our lives, our hope is in the love and victory that comes from your cross and resurrection on Sunday. Amen

“In the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son.”

Deuteronomy 1:31 (NASB)

Once in a while we hear a story of how God seemed to carry a person through a trying time in their life. When I hear a testimony of a person’s spiritual and miraculous experience, I just have to share it. The Lord knows we hear enough bad news each day, so here is a miracle to meditate on.

A young man named Mark, along with his parents, told this story in a documentary about events that cannot be explained in any other way except being a miracle. When Mark was 12 years old, he went hiking in the woods near his home in rural Missouri, and was bitten by a venomous snake. The snake’s fangs bit through his pants piercing the skin of his ankle area. 

Both his legs started to become numb and his eyesight was getting blurry. Mark was all alone, about 150 yards from his home, and since he could no longer walk, he tried to crawl home, but grew increasingly weaker. 

Before becoming unresponsive, Mark remembered being picked up by a man wearing a white robe with a red belt. While being carried in his arms he remembers that the man told him he was going to be alright. Then Mark lost consciousness. 

No one witnessed what happened after he lost consciousness, but somehow Mark was found by his mother on the kitchen floor of their home. His parents immediately rushed him to the hospital, as the bite wound on his ankle swelled.

He could not have crawled home by himself since he was paralyzed from the snake venom and passed out. How could an unresponsive boy get from the woods straight to his home? The only explanation is that the man in the white robe was his guardian angel, and carried him home. 

By the time he got to the hospital, his breathing was very shallow, but he was treated with antivenin, and recovered two days later. When he awoke, he told his parents about the mysterious white robed man who assured him that he would be alright, and carried him home. No one else but a twelve year boy saw the angel that day, but there is no other explanation for how Mark got home just in time to get to the hospital, where his life was saved.

God knew that it was not Mark’s time to die, and today he is a father, raising a son of his own. As a man would carry his own son, the angel of the Lord carried him home in time to get medical help which saved his life. 

We need reminders of the goodness of God, and because of His paternal love for all of us, He appoints angels to keep watch over us, and our children.

Lord, thank you for the miraculous messengers and helpers you have ordered to take care of us, even though we may never see them. You are a good Father, who cares for us, and will carry us if necessary. Amen

“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.”

Mark 1:35 (RSV)

When I was four, I once got lost in the woods, while on a family vacation in Michigan. Fortunately, a very kind couple found me and took me inside their cabin where I safely waited, until my parents came to get me. Being lost in the woods is a lonely experience, but to go to a lonely place on purpose, for solitude to pray, is a totally different thing, and can be a time of rich spiritual renewal.

Jesus routinely went off alone to 

“the lonely place” every day to pray, and get away from the crowds. He found a grotto, which is a cave or covered recess, on a mountain, which offered Him privacy and solitude. Scholars believe that the attached photo of this Eremos grotto, on the north side of the Sea of Galilee, is the actual place where Jesus went to pray each day. (Eremos in Greek, literally means lonely, deserted place)

Jesus taught that we should enter our inner room or prayer closet to spend private time with God. It sounds like Jesus hoped we would find our own grotto to retreat to. He said, “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Matthew 6:6)

The Eremos grotto is probably where Jesus prepared His famous sermon on the Mount. He was probably there when He developed the teaching that peacemakers are the true children of God, the pure in heart are the ones who will see God, and only the meek will inherit the earth. Inside that grotto, Jesus spoke in secret to his Father and put His thoughts into words to preach and teach us. The mountain where that grotto is located, is more commonly known as the Mount of Beatitudes.

Lonliness might be a result of losing friends or loved ones, but solitude is a choice. It’s a choice to routinely go to our secret place, our own metaphoric grotto, where we spend time each day with God. It’s a time to  invite Him into our day, and to guide our thoughts and words, and all the events of our day.

There are also times when it’s necessary to find the grotto within us, whenever we feel the need to call upon Jesus. It might be while sitting on an airplane, or on the way to a medical procedure, or at a family holiday gathering with relatives we don’t see very often. Since Jesus promised to send His Spirit to live within us, we can step into our spiritual grotto at any time and bring our prayer needs to Him. 

When I was lost in the woods, someone brought me into their cabin, and cared for me until my parents came and brought me home. We are all in temporary cabins in this life, waiting for Jesus to return and take us to our real home. 

We occasionally meet lost people wandering through our woods, and God is asking us to bring them into our cabin, to comfort and assure them that their Father is coming soon. No one is meant to fend for themselves, since Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourself. It’s another way of saying we actually are our brother’s keeper. Before we can care for any lost brothers or sisters, we first need to find our grotto and retreat in daily solitude with the Lord.

Lord, help us to stay faithful to the private time spent in our grotto with you each day, and give us the compassion to comfort and care for those who are lost or wandering around us. Amen

The actual grotto of Eremos

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

Matthew 25:40 (RSV)

We all know people who we would consider the greatest among us. Jesus doesn’t need to tell us to do good for those who have been great towards us, like wonderful friends, family members, or those who have helped us when we were down, but He did tell us to do good for the least among us. 

The “least” among us is commonly thought to be people like starving children in third world nations, or anyone living in poverty, as well as the lonely, forgotten souls in Nursing facilities or hospitals. I’m learning that the “least among us”, encompasses even more than all the people described above.

Last week I was visiting a group of residents in the Nursing Home, which was a very pleasant visit. One resident’s aunt was in from out of town, who joined us and we had a great conversation together. Lydia, the resident with Alzheimer’s who walks around, cradling her baby doll, sat next to me, just happy to be with all of us, even though she doesn’t understand a word of English. 

While I was taking in the delightful moment of that visit, a resident walked by who is known to be very contentious and regularly instigates arguments. Someone told me that before she was admitted to the Nursing home, she was on the local news for disturbing the peace at a Chicago public beach, shouting racial slurs at strangers. She now lives on the psychiatric floor of the Nursing Facility. When she enters the room, a strange silence comes over everyone, knowing the current relaxed ambience could easily erupt into a conflict.

I’m calling her Windy, to protect her privacy. That day, Windy walked into the room and sat right at our table. We continued our conversation with each other as if nothing changed, but people were clearly looking cautious. She said nothing to anyone and sat for a few minutes, eating the snacks I brought. Then she thanked me, got up and left. We all breathed a sigh of relief and continued to have a nice visit. 

It made me think about how easy and natural it is, to do good for people who are kind and friendly, but Jesus didn’t ask us to do what comes natural or easy. In fact, He has a history of asking us to do the most “unnatural” things. 

He told us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, and if someone asks for our shirt, to give away our coat as well. 

Not one of those things come natural to us, which was apparent by everyone’s reaction in the moment Windy came and sat at our table. Not only does Jesus ask us to do what is “not natural”, He asks us to do it for the “least” of all persons among us. The least among us is not limited to those who are simple minded, innocent, poor and lovable. It might also include the least lovable among us. 

While focusing on those who are sick, naked, hungry or in prison, we will inevitably find people who are also angry, argumentative and morally impaired. Some people were damaged early in their life and we don’t know their story or what made them who they are today, but Jesus knows, and He rewards those who will show them kindness.

He said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.”

(Luke 6:32-33)

It seems that Jesus is always asking us to do what is unnatural, instead of what comes natural to us. The next day, Windy came and sat at our table again. We were discussing various Easter and Passover customs, so I invited her into the conversation by asking about her own childhood faith background. 

She said that her parents had no faith but as an adult, she briefly visited an Episcopal church. It was at the least, an opening to include her in the conversation. Then she said something critical about Passover, but I quickly diffused the comment by changing the subject, before an eruption occurred. Everything  remained peaceful, she thanked me for the treats and walked away. 

We can be sure that if Jesus brings difficult people into our lives, it’s for the purpose of raising the bar of our own spiritual growth. The Nursing facility can be a school for learning hard lessons, but we were all meant to keep moving forward wherever Jesus leads us. The lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching us, are meant to transform us, not the people around us. 

The church is encouraged to be overcomers, who resist any way of thinking that goes against the teaching of Jesus Christ. We’re all on a life journey of transformation by the Holy Spirit, shining His love to the least among us, doing our best to keep moving forward all the way to the finish line. 

Lord, help us to be open to doing what does not come natural, so that we may be your disciples, shining your light and reflecting your love to a world that desperately needs it. Amen