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Today's passage again reminds me of Jesus' willingness to reach out to people. Not only did Jesus stop to heal this needy man, Jesus went out searching for him afterwards, when Jesus heard that he had been thrown out of the synagogue (John 9:1-41).

By comparison I often walk straight past needy people. Sometimes I'm afraid of them. Often I'm worried about being caught up and overwhelmed by their concerns. 

And yet I wonder if I am missing an opportunity to see God's glory revealed...

A story was shared at our Bible study (I received permission to share this) about someone who stopped to talk to a homeless person outside the library. That homeless person was astonished. "Nobody ever talks to me," he said. The conversation continued and before it ended the person committed to another conversation (outside the library) that included a home-cooked meal for the homeless man.

The person who saw the homeless man's need for conversation, didn't tackle the person's homelessness. Undoubtedly that issue was caught up with other issues of mental illness or addiction. But they did provide a real and pressing need for deeper human connection. As they broke bread together I can't help but imagine that Jesus was there with them, ministering to that man's deepest needs.

Sometime I think we feel we need to save people. And that when we think we need to save people, we avoid them altogether, because the idea of saving people is overwhelming. I wonder if God is often just asking us to show a little bit of compassion. And that through the gift of compassion and the gifts of many others is concocting an amazing work of salvation. 

Can we imagine how God might use even our smallest gifts of compassion and service?

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