I once had a conversation with a woman whose husband was a general at an Air Force base. There were times she would enlist the help of men incarcerated at the minimum-security prison on base. This assistance ranged from serving guests at dinner parties to doing area landscaping.
Each time these men came to help, she treated them with respect. If serving at dinner parties, they ate the same wonderful food as the guests. If working in the hot sun, she would make sure they had plenty of time to rest in the shade and enjoy a refreshing beverage. At Christmas, she would make sure they received a Christmas gift.
This kind woman treated these prisoners with the dignity due any person.
Several years later, she desperately needed help and support during a trying circumstance. Word reached several of those prisoners, who had completed their sentence, and they were there in a heartbeat, offering aid and compassion.
During a different conversation, an elderly gentleman shared various stories about his life. He spoke eloquently of early life in Crestview, telling stories from his childhood and adulthood; school days and business days.
He spoke of times when friends and acquaintances ran into various difficulties. If these people contacted him in the midst of their trouble, this gentleman would stop whatever he was doing to render aid to those who sought him out. It didn’t matter if he was in the middle of a project or a meal. It didn’t matter the time of day or night. He would go.
As he related these stories he said, “That’s what we’re here for — to help each other.”
These are but two examples of innumerable stories shared with me by the people I serve in my congregations. Putting the gospel of Jesus Christ into action — without expectation of receiving any reward or recognition — is truly the proper way to live.
Jesus gave his all for God’s children. And because of his selfless gift, innumerable lives have been changed. When one life is changed, it has a ripple effect. That one life influences others, who then influence even more.
How do you respond when a family member, friend or neighbor seeks your assistance? How do you treat others whom society would rather shun?
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
We are here to help each other and to treat others with dignity. In so doing, we do it for our Lord.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: We are here to help each other