Your brother’s keeper
Be blessed Galatians 6 vs 2
“BEAR one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
I met an extraordinary young man a few days ago. He is a pastor in one of the remote districts of our country, a marginalised area that is very hot and the extreme climate makes it difficult for agriculture to succeed there. Its inhabitants are a minority group whose language is very different from the mainstream.
Their customs and ways differ significantly, thereby further distancing them from the mainstream. The young pastor shared with me that in this distinct but cruel setting, he was pioneering the work of spreading the gospel. Unlike other areas where the global denomination is found, the income levels in this part of the country were virtually non-existent. The inhabitants literally survive on the mercy of the Lord.
He spoke so passionately about his work of winning souls there and what his plans were for this impoverished region. I could see the passion and commitment in this young man and his desire to uplift and change the lives of others. As we got talking he started speaking about some of the projects he intended to work on, one of which was the building of a clinic.
He said that the need of the hour was a clinic to provide medical relief to the inhabitants of his district. Apparently the only other clinic is thirty or so kilometres away and, given those distances and the general lack of mobility, sick people had to be ferried on one’s back in order to access medical attention. As was the case, many would die on this perilous journey.
His plea therefore was for a few bags of cement and some roofing materials to finish the clinic they had started building. He said that given these meager materials, the community would gather together, provide manual labour and build the clinic. On completion they would request the ministry of health to provide a nurse who would be deployed there for service.
He did not ask for anything else other than that assistance, he did not speak of his own need or his circumstances. He did however say he needed to rush back home in the next few day as he had lots of work to do there.
I was very touched by his commitment and desire to help. He exhibited an unselfish love that is very rare. His prayer was for the people he was serving and nothing more. His life has been dedicated to service with no visible material gain to himself other than to improve the lives of others.
It got me thinking that I interact with so many people who tell me their life stories, their heart’s desires and their problems. The bulk of what I hear is about what the Lord should be doing or can do for the individuals. Very few people speak about what they would like the Lord to help them do for others and how they can improve the circumstances of those that have been placed in their care.
You and I are our brother’s keeper, let’s make a commitment to not only care for ourselves but to care for others as well. Let’s begin to care more for those who are less privileged than us. Life is fraught with problems, we all have them, but our problems should not deter us from showing love to others and helping where we can.
Let us begin to think of how we can make the world a better place. Like the young pastor it starts with one selfless act and soon the impact of that action will change a generation.
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