We battle bullying as kids and teens, but as adults, I hope that we are past that stage, but how often do we judge someone without really knowing them, or avoid talking to them because of the way they look?
Jesus says, whatever you do for the least of these, you do also to me. Yes, we need to have compassion for the poor, feed the hungry, help in times of crisis, etc., but I don’t think that’s all Jesus meant when he said that. Look again at the part, “you have also done unto me.” How often could we actually be encountering Jesus in “the least of these”?
How would you react in the following situations?
Your assigned seat on your flight is next to a mentally retarded man. You know he will talk to you the whole time if you sit beside him, and you really wanted to relax and read your book.
You are rushing through the grocery store to get home, an see a woman on your isle leaning in really close to the spice jars struggling to find what she needs because she has very limited vision, obviously from a terrible accident.
The mom of a girl in class with your daughter always tries to duck away unnoticed because she is scarred from a burn on one whole side of her face, and you know she really wants to be involved with class activities.
You are sitting in your doctors office waiting for them to call you back and a hearing impaired man, who speaks very loudly, strikes up a conversation with you.
What if one of the people you want to avoid could be Jesus Christ himself? Should we assume that it’s not because he doesn’t look like the Jesus we know? Or because Jesus ascended back into Heaven after being risen from the dead so we won’t see him again til we get there?
I went to a financial seminar yesterday and met a sweet new friend. The really weird part…well, let me tell you the story.
I have to start with the fact that I have vitiligo. It’s an autoimmune disease that destroys the cells in your skin that hold pigment. You might recognize it better as the “Michael Jackson disease.” There’s not too much research on it because it’s a cosmetic problem more than anything else, and the other autoimmune diseases like lupus & rheumatoid arthritis are much more important. I developed it during my second pregnancy, and it gets a little worse each year, but because I have fair skin anyway, it’s not that noticeable.
Last year, David and I ate with some friends at a downtown steakhouse, and I noticed a black waitress with vitiligo on her face, and it was very noticeable. I had the thoughts, “I hope mine is never that bad.” and “I’m glad I have fair skin and am not dark skinned.” And that was the extent of my thoughts. This was not a situation where I avoided her, I just noticed her.
At the seminar yesterday, I saw a black woman with pretty bad vitiligo. Only this time, I found myself wanting to talk to her. I am trying a new herbal treatment for my vitiligo, and if it works, I wanted to be able to tell her about it. But I wondered, “ Is she going to think I’m rude for bringing it up? Will she tell me to mind my own business? Will I just make her more self-conscious?” Nevertheless, I felt a gentle nudging to talk to her. And wouldn’t you know she had the sweetest, most endearing personality? And when we talked, she revealed to me that she saw someone years ago with vitiligo all around their eyes, and she hoped she’d never have it that bad, but now she does. That’s when I told her about the waitress I saw at the restaurant.
“That’s where I work!” she exclaimed.
She was the waitress that I’d seen that day!
I was so glad that I was not to “whatever” to talk to her. Afraid? Intimidated? Uncomfortable? I gave her my contact info, and I hope to talk to her more. God has people cross our path for a reason. You never know who that person could be, or why they cross your path, but when you feel that little “nudge,” there’s a reason. I have no idea where this contact will go, but I knew God was nudging me to make it. And I’m so glad that I did!
So next time you decide to avoid that person who might make you uncomfortable, think about who it might be, or who you could be to them.
Do you wonder where Jesus is?
