Matthew 25: 40

Nicki Rogers

I went to church tonight and our minister talked about Philip Yancey's picture version of 'What's so amazing about Grace.' One of the pages is black and in the centre is a small square mirror. As you hold the page in front of you, the reflection of your own face stares back and the words 'The one Jesus loves' label the image. This brings a realisation that we are all individually caught in the greatest love story of all time. For many I met in Ethiopia, I wonder if the love story seems so romantic. Do they see the reflection of their faces and know that they are the subject of a passionate God?

One 20 year old woman J. John visited on the trip came to mind. She has been disabled from birth and was unable to use her legs. When she turned 17 she was raped and became pregnant. Her parents threw her out of the home and she was left to fight for her and her baby's survival. Every Sunday she would crawl on her elbows for an hour and a half to church. She loved God desperately and would never miss church even if the winter had made the ground a swamp of mud and stone which she had to drag herself across.

One Sunday as she was dragging herself to a meeting she called out on God for mercy. She was desperate and no longer knew how to continue. A worker from Compassion saw her across the street and was immediately moved to get the girl into a Compassion project. Working though the local church, Compassion helped this young woman grow in faith, confidence and health. She received the love and care that she so desperately needed and in due time was reconciled with her family and taken back to the family home.

'As you do for the least of these, you do unto me'

The verse in Matthew Chapter 25 'As you do for the least of these, you do unto me' has never held such relevance to me. There is no room for self righteousness in a world where people have to live with these circumstances. If we love Jesus then we must do 'unto the least of these.' There is a world outside waiting for us to bless the one who died for us, by blessing the ones He loves. He no longer has a physical body of His own on this earth. WE ARE IT! An arm that needs to reach out and feed someone...a leg that needs to kick down the walls of injustice...lips that must speak the truth of the only name by which a man must be saved, an ear to hear the shrill cries of the crippled lady dragging herself to church with her baby wrapped around her filthy muddied body.

I am His body and must make a difference to the ones He loves. I started by sponsoring a little boy called Samuel through Compassion. It's nothing, but it's everything. I was seized by the realisation of what my little bit of giving does for a child, and the parents of that child, and the process of letting light reflect off the surface of the mirror in front of their faces.

I cannot know what an effect the last week will have on me in the months to come. I know that an emotional response is not enough! In recent writings taken from St Theresa's diary it becomes apparent that she never once experienced the presence of God in her life! She didn't live as a saint because she was emotionally driven to do so, she lived as a saint because she chose to. A humbling and poignant lesson.