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Perhaps you have heard the story about a small dog that had been struck by a car. As it lay on the side of the road, a doctor drove by and noticed that the dog was still alive, so she stopped the car, picked up the dog and drove home. Once there, the doctor discovered that the animal had only suffered minor injuries – cuts, abrasions, and bruises, but was otherwise going to be just fine. She revived the dog, cleaned the wounds, and then picked the dog up to carry it to the garage, where she intended to provide a bed for the injured dog. As she walked from the house, the dog wiggled free from the doctor’s arms, jumped to the ground and ran away. “What an ungrateful dog!”, the doctor said to herself. She was glad that the dog had recovered so quickly, but a little miffed that it had shown so little appreciation for its “expert veterinary care!” The doctor didn’t give another thought about the dog until the next evening when she heard scratching at her front door, opened it, and found the same dog that she had treated the night before. At its side was another dog who had been hurt!
The “longer end” of the Gospel of Mark tells us in chapter 16, verse 15 to “Go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation…” I fully believe that one of the most frustrating things (among many things) that COVID-19 has done over the past year and a half is to distract us in our mission and purpose as Christian disciples who are life-long learners that influence others to serve as we strive to make disciples for the transformation of the world. Which is a long way of saying that this pandemic has caused so many of us to take our eyes off Jesus’ great commission to share the love of Christ to everyone, everywhere, every day.
I love this little story of the “Good Samaritan Doctor” for lots of reasons, but specifically for how the dog who had been helped and treated, took its injured friend back to the one who had helped and treated him. Isn’t that the true spirit of evangelism? We love others because we know that Jesus first loved us. And once we say “yes” to Christ’s love, offer of forgiveness, transformation, and new life with Christ every day, we can’t wait to share and invite others to meet the “Doctor” who treated our wounds from the world!
In spite of the many obstacles and frustrations we are facing as churches and disciples of the James River District of the UMC, may we never lose our passion for seeking, loving, and sharing the Great News of Jesus with others – especially those who are, and have been, wounded by the world. Who do you know right now that needs you to guide them to the “Great Physician” spiritually? Who needs an invitation to worship, Bible study, prayer meeting, or just a cup of coffee for conversation? Yes, we will still need to be sure to provide safe, socially-distanced and healthy ways to interact, but we can do this!
Jay
Rev. James H. Carey, Jr., District Superintendent
JamesRiverDS@vaumc.org
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