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with people whom I will never meet. You touch lives to which I have no access. Christ is calling you to reach out to the people you meet here in church -- and at work -- and in the classroom. God is calling you to reach out to your neighbors -- and to members of your own family. God is calling you to be a proclaimer and a healer. God is calling you to say a graceful word and to do a graceful deed. God is calling you to help those in need.
Second, if you don't know where to start, I am going to tell you. Start by hearing this scripture text -- the one where Jesus had compassion for the crowds "because they were harassed and helpless." Start by understanding that you -- with God's help -- can make a difference. Start by recognizing that many of the people with whom you work or play are people who need a kind word -- an encouraging word -- a pat on the back -- a bit of direction. Christ doesn't expect you to become something that you aren't. You don't have to become a pastor or a physician or a psychiatrist. You just need to be a caring person -- a sensitive person -- a listener -- a friend. Most of all, you need to be a person who believes in God. Do what you can, and trust God to do the heavy lifting.
Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Christian mystic, said:
"Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours, no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes
through which the compassion of Christ
looks out on a hurting world.
Yours are the feet
with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands
with which he is to bless us now."
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