Extending Healing and Wholeness to All
Theme For Week Five
Reflection By Scott Stoner
Let us hold our broken world—and our own brokenness—in compassion, light, and love. For God’s love reigns forever, forgiveness is the key, reconciliation is the goal, and love is always, always, the answer.
- Westina Matthews
This week, we turn our attention to loving our neighbor, specifically, how we can participate in bringing healing and wholeness to the world. As people of faith, our call to wholeness always extends beyond just ourselves and those closest to us. Jesus taught that when it comes to loving our neighbor, there are no limits to whom we are called to extend our love.
The quote above from Westina Matthew’s Sunday’s reflection captures our focus for this week: to hold the brokenness of the world, along with our own, in compassion, light, and love, and to be instruments of God’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and love.
Given the overwhelming needs for healing in the world, focusing our attention on these needs can feel daunting. A story from a young man who visited Mother Teresa can be helpful to give us perspective. The young man asked her how he could return home and do something as significant as she was doing in her work in India. Mother Teresa wisely responded, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
Making It Personal: What “small things” are you currently doing to offer healing to others? Take a moment to pause and pray for guidance on any additional small offerings of love that God may be calling you to provide to others.