When snowstorms bury the grazing lands, ranchers must feed their herds
by hand. As hay is tossed from wagons and trucks, the strongest animals bull
their way to the front. Timid or sickly animals get little or no feed unless
the rancher intervenes.
Workers in refugee camps and food pantries report a similar pattern.
When they open their stores to those in need, the weak and timid may not make
it to the front of the line. Like the ranchers, these human lifelines must take
steps to ensure that their services reach the feeble, weary, and sick at the
edge of society’s attention.
They are carrying out a principle set forth by God long ago. In
Leviticus 19, Moses instructed Israel’s farmers and vintners to leave portions
of their crops so the poor and the stranger could have something to eat
(vv.9-10).
We too can serve as caretakers to the weak and weary. Whether we’re
teachers coaxing quiet students to open up, workers coming alongside a
struggling co-worker, prisoners looking out for new arrivals, or parents
showing attention to their children, we have ways to honor God by helping
others.
As we seek to serve those in need, may the grace of God that reached us
in our need move us to reach out to others in theirs.
By serving others, we serve God. (RBC)
