The Serving Saints

I am amazed at saints like Francis and Father Damien who hugged and cared for lepers.  I am also amazed at a saint like Mother Teresa who spent a life time in the midst of some of the most destitute, broken, and suffering people of our world.  One of my childhood inspirations was Albert Schweitzer who served as a doctor in Africa decades ago and then later in my college years I was amazed at the story of a missionary named Burleigh Law who flew back into a hostile rebellion in Africa to lose his life.   I would like to think that I am of the same spirit, but then I know myself as the guy who finds it difficult to see people whose bodies have more tattoos than clothing.   

Jesus certainly made it clear that being a disciple in to be committed to a life of putting self aside for the sake of others.  If we think it is hard to part with some of the money in our wallet when confronted by a homeless person, imagine the response we might make if we were asked to wash their feet.  And, if we think washing the feet of the homeless would be a problem, imagine dying for someone who has stuck a knife in our back, betrayed us, and is an antagonist responsible for an agonizing and painful death.  Most of us are probably a long way from making the kind of witness to the world some have willingly made.  

We want to dabble in safe service.  We want our service for Christ to be done in our convenient moments.  We are not even ready to turn lose of some of the extra coats we have in our closets during the bitter cold days of winter.  Perhaps, such sounds a bit too extreme, but then, we can always count the coats we have given away, the number of suffering people to whom we have personally offered some expression of compassion, and our record of laying aside the important things on our schedules to serve someone who shows up unexpectedly in need.