When Hans Egede went to Greenland as a missionary in 1721, he didn’t
know the Inuit language. His temperament was often overbearing, and he
struggled to be kind to the people.
In 1733, a smallpox epidemic swept through Greenland, wiping out almost
two-thirds of the Inuit people—and claiming Egede’s wife as well. This shared
suffering melted Egede’s harsh demeanor, and he began to tirelessly labor to
care for the people physically and spiritually. Because his life now better
represented the stories he told them of God’s love, the Inuits could at last
grasp His desire to love them too. Even in suffering, their hearts turned to
God.
Perhaps you are like the Inuits in this story, and you are unable to see
God in the people around you. Or perhaps you are like Hans Egede, who struggled
to express love in a way that taught people about God. Knowing we are weak and
needy people, God showed us what love is like. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ,
to die for our sins (John 3:16). That’s how much God loves you and me.
Jesus is the perfect example of the love that is described in 1
Corinthians 13. As we look to Him, we learn that we are loved and we learn how
to love in turn.
May I never be the barrier that blocks one’s view of God. (RBC)
