Devotional for March 3rd 2021

“. . .for I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me. . .”
-Matthew 25:35

Last week I began our Lenten devotions by reflecting on the idea of a spiritual practice, and the importance of making time to develop one. Especially in the season of Lent when we are invited to be more intentional with our relationship with Christ. My hope is to reflect on a different way of being intentional with our faith until we arrive at Holy Week. Some will be spiritual practices while others will be intentional ways of following Christ in the world today. Last we I spoke about the role of prayer as a way of intentional connecting with the Divine while also finding strength and encouragement for the troubles we face. Today, I want to turn our attention to that of charity or caring for others. The passage I just read to you comes from a reading in the Gospel of Matthew that I love because of the powerful imagery it offers. In it, Jesus equates caring for others with caring for him, saying “ . . .for I was hungry and you gave me food. . . “ Here Jesus clearly points out what following Christ is meant to look like: serving him by serving others.. And Lent is a great time to re-engage this calling, especially this year, when we are still in the midst of a global pandemic. There is a great amount of need all around us, especially here at home, which can be overwhelming at times. It can leave us feeling as though there is nothing we can do make a difference. But we can. When we let love be our guide and reach out to care for others, we make a difference for that person. When we donate food to the Caring Cupboard, send a card to someone who may be feeling lonely or put together a care package for someone who is sick, we make a difference. And so today I encourage you to keep your hearts and eyes open to the needs around you. Respond. Reach out, share love in Christ’s name. Find ways to connect with others, even with the restrictions we currently face. Be creative, there’s always a way to help! And when you do, remember to look closely for you will see Christ! For when you love your neighbour, you are loving Christ! Next week, I’ll speak more about the joy of learning and how that nurtures and strengthens our faith in Christ.

Devotional was written by Rev. Tara Ann Gourson, March 2021.