O Lord, I have
heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O
Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it
known; in wrath may you remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2
I was asked to write this devotional because of the history of
cooperation between Liberty Lutheran and UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On
Relief), most recently in collecting supplies and assembling flood buckets and
hygiene kits. Three catastrophic storms this summer could have overwhelmed us
all, but the Spirit has moved among us to show the awesome power of God in how
we reached out to help without worrying about who would get the credit.
In our own time, we can make the Lord’s renown and mercy known
to the world if we follow the example of the Good Samaritan. Ponder the parable
of the Good Samaritan. Remember, this was told in response to a question, “who
is my neighbor?”
Who is the neighbor? The one who took pity AND took action. The neighbor
stopped to help, got personally involved, contributed financially, set up a
support mechanism and stayed involved long enough to follow through with a
promise to make certain the Traveler returned
to well-being and the inn keeper would not suffer a financial setback. When
Jesus tells his followers to “go and
do likewise,” we are not called to help only in the moment, but to boldly reach
out and stay involved in the lives of the people we serve with.
Are we willing to continue to reach out and check on and work with
the communities and people affected until the rebuilding is complete to truly
emulate the Samaritan, the neighbor?
Almighty God, when gentle breezes and gentle rains become fierce
storms, guide how we respond to our neighbors, near and far, to show glory and
mercy in reaching out to help through your precious Son’s name. Amen.
Rev. Greg Ellis is an Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist
Church (UMC) and serves as the Disaster Response Coordinator of the Eastern
Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC.
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