Encouragement in the midst of COVID-19.

I want to share some words of encouragement with each of you as you tackle one of the biggest issues you have likely faced in ministry.  Right now, I am sure that the focus of many, including ECM staff, is on what can't be done right now.  We can't hold Saturday clubs, we can't visit homes, we can't visit schools, we can't hold meetings or trainings....  We can't, we can't, we can't....  I get it. I feel the same way too right now.  

So I want to encourage you simply to ask yourself, "What can we do right now? What can we do that we didn't have time to do before?  What can we do to move forward the mission and vision of ECM, even in the midst of difficulty?"  

If you can continue to find ways to bring hope during this time, then you have succeeded.  I challenge you to find ways to bring hope, even if the methods may look different than before.  Even if you have to think outside the box.  

There is a lot we can do.  So, let's do it!

Lord, We Want Our Sight

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

Matthew 20:29-33

What comes next in this story is critical for followers of Christ.  Let me start by telling you what does not come next:

Jesus looked at the men with great indignation and told them, "Oh foolish men! Why are you so short-sighted? I have come to bring you hope for eternity, so cast your vision for what is to come, not on what you may see today!"

And the men rejoiced as they continued in their blindness, knowing that someday they too would see.

Could Jesus have said that?  Yes, he had the right to say it, and there are certainly places in Scripture where he points people away from today and toward eternity. But his response in this situation (and in many situations in Scripture) was very different.  Instead of ignoring the men or downplaying their need, Matthew tells us that Jesus

"...had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him."

Jesus cared about those with physical needs and almost always did something about it.  He didn't preach to the men, he just healed them.  But don't miss what came next: they followed him.  That's what often happens when we consistently do good things for others in the name of Jesus.  They follow him.  And isn't that the ultimate goal?