We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
~Mother Teresa
and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
~Galatians 2:9-10
Some years ago… He put me on a path. It is a wasteful existence. I, and other fools like me, throw away money and time visiting royalty in lands far away.
Why?
Why would 20 people from all over the country spend nine days of vacation time and $60,000 USD to go visit some kids, and build a few houses in Jamaica? There is an absolute ocean of pain in this world. What use is it to even try to help?
Why would a teacher take his spring break, add in 50 hours worth of plane travel – and spend the time visiting kids in Mombasa? Why would he take nearly $3,000 USD worth of gifts to help with food and farm projects?
Why would a group of students take time to go out onto the trash mountain of Nagrak-Cilincing, outside of Jakarta – just to say hi to some children, and share some fun and medicine?
There is no use. It is a lavish waste by any worldly measure.
But then, beloved, it comes to mind what G_d did for us. As Saint Augustine of Hippo once said,
“If you were the only person on earth, Christ would have still suffered and died for you.”
It seems that G_d’s economy has almost nothing to do with the way we count things. For in an infinite eternity, what is the difference between 1 and a billion? There is no difference. There is no sliding scale in the infinite proposition of the gospel. One is either eternally and infinitely saved – or not.
What would we give for that to happen? What would we give for just one kid to actually have enough food in his stomach for a little while so that he could concentrate when someone told Him about how much Jesus Loves Him? Would we give our riches, our power, our security, our name, our life?
That’s what Jesus did for us.
Nowhere are we called to foolish action. Nowhere are we called to save one, when we might rightly save 100 with the same wise action. But, when G_d calls us to focus our tiny actions in one place, it behooves eternity for us to pour out whatever we have for whatever He wants to do. As the gospel-hammering, beloved disciple’s husband, Oswald Chambers once said, “We are to give our utmost for His highest.”
So, to Jamaica we go. Or, off to a trash mountain. Or Mombasa.
What a waste.
Perhaps.
But this fool of a writer, for one, will take that bet – and lay everything down for the eternal win.
Would you join me?
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in Matthew 25
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in Matthew 25
