The last handful of weeks have been interesting, to say the least. On the back of the sad demise of a celebrity who took her own life last month, we were urged to be kinder as a society. This month the same social media site that echoed with people calling for grace reports episodes of hysteria as some shops experience mass panic buying in the light of the coronavirus crisis.
The contrast is a sobering reminder that an instinct of self-preservation is never far away when fear strikes and our nation really needs to know the gospel of Jesus Christ! It’s also a timely challenge for those of us who follow the Lord to be the voice of hope, the eyes that look out for the vulnerable and the hand that shares with those who have need.
In Matthew 25, Jesus distinguishes the sheep and the goats by stating that his sheep are the ones who fed and watered others, clothed and nursed the poor and visited the imprisoned. Jesus declared that when the least are looked after, we are actually doing it for him (Matthew 25:40). This really is our time to shine, so let’s rise up and be the sheep that truly demonstrate the love of The Shepherd!