Adventure Quest #6: Genuine Neighbor-Love

Adventure Quest #6: Genuine Neighbor-Love. 

“And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:14, 17).

To Quest (a very active verb): To engage in a long, difficult and adventurous journey that requires hard work in order to achieve a worthwhile goal or a valuable possession; to give oneself to a focused search, a single-minded pursuit, that frequently involves challenges, exploration, and personal growth; to invest personally in a prolonged endeavor in which the process is just as important as the product; to engage in a mission or expedition in an extensive search to discover something important.

Refuse to Love in a Virtual World. Off the top of your head, simply make a running list of all the counterfeits in our world: artificial light; robotic nurses; canned laughter on TV; AI counselors; doctored voice messages; photoshopped pictures; edited video clips; manufactured soundbites; fake musicians; virtual foods; online conversations; computerized teachers; special effects on video games; machines that do all your thinking for you. After making your list, forget all that and go out of your way to have a personal conversation, some flesh and blood interaction, embracing a community of people who care for each other, engaging in a ministry of touching the untouchables of our world, participating in the Sacraments. Quite a difference, right? God set the pattern in His incarnation. Love must be fleshed out to be legitimate, it must be personal in order to be real. Yes, genuine love is offline, unwired, hardcopy, flesh and blood, tangible, face-to-face. When it comes to loving other people, virtual is completely inadequate and makes God laugh in derision. In other words, let’s get physical.

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the very least of these, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:31-46).

Works of Mercy. Both the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox have “Works of Mercy” in their Church Catechisms, both the Physical Works of Mercy and the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Since Biblical times there have been six Physical Works of Mercy expected of Christian believers. These Physical Works are outlining acts of mercy that relieve physical suffering. They are accepted as revealing love-in-action, a model for how to treat others in the name of Jesus, and tangible ways of loving your neighbor who has physical needs. These Physical Works are practical ways of making Jesus visible in your corner of the world. This ancient list of Physical Works of Mercy is based on the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus offers this eye-opening story as His final words before the Passion, the closing chapter in His public ministry. It appears He wanted to close His teaching ministry with a visceral punch to the gut, and He was successful in that. These merciful acts are not necessarily what is needed to be a Christian, but instead reveal if one is a Christian in the first place:

1. Feed the Hungry;
2. Give Drink to the Thirsty;
3. Clothe the Naked;
4. Give Shelter to the Homeless;
5. Visit the Sick;
6. Visit those in Prison.

Mother Teresa. One of the greatest saints of the 20th century, one of its brightest shining lights, was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She came to base her whole calling on this particular parable. Her vision was to serve Jesus in the poorest of the poor on the desperate streets of Calcutta, India. She sought to “satiate the thirst of Jesus by serving Him in the poorest of the poor.” Her Order, the Missionaries of Charity, literally saw God in the poor, they perceived a spiritual reality in the poor. She longed to “bring joy to the suffering heart of Jesus,” and saw the face of Jesus in the destitute and dying. To her dying breath, she held fast to the words, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” These words seemed to summarize the Gospel for her. She taught her fellow missionaries what she called “Gospel on five fingers” – You-did-it-to-me – one word for each finger. In the words of one of her biographers, she wanted her missionaries to “always remember the poor – not only to respect the dignity of the child of God in each one, but also to realize the supernatural reality of God’s presence in each of them.”

His Distressing Disguise. Christ so closely identifies with those who suffer in the world that He somehow attaches Himself to each sufferer, He in effect participates with them in their suffering. He even thinks of the sufferer as “brethren,” (v. 40) of being in the same family as Him. Jesus has adopted every needy person in the world. Jesus is present with the have-nots, the overlooked, the neglected in a spiritually meaningful way. Jesus knows what it’s like to suffer, He is familiar with pain and loneliness, He is acquainted with grief and shame. The Lord is saying that He is personally with that person in the midst of his suffering. When you care for the needy, you therefore are caring for Christ as well. When you are serving the hungry in a soup kitchen, you are also filling the plate of Jesus. When you dress the wounds of a soldier on a battlefield, you are providing first aid to Jesus. When you visit a prisoner in his jail cell, you’ll find the top bunk belongs to Jesus. If you offer your home to a homeless person, better make sure that bedroom has a twin bed for Him. If you offer the shirt off your back to a half-naked man on the street corner, be aware that you are clothing Jesus in His “distressing disguise.” (Mother Teresa). The miserable have captured the heart of Jesus to the extent that He joins them in their misery. He is a presence in their poverty. Jesus so closely identifies with the needy that when you care for the poor, you care for Him, and when you ignore the needy, you ignore Him, to your peril.

Burden-Bearing. “Continue bearing each other’s heavy burdens. In this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which is upheld by the Messiah Christ. Keep carrying one another’s overwhelming loads, and you will be truly obeying Christ’s Royal Law of Love. By your ongoing offer to stoop down and help shoulder one another’s crushing burdens, you will be completely submitting to the way Christ expects us to live.” (Galatians 6:2).

Awareness of Spiritual Burdens. Burden-bearing can be applied to any excessive weight on a believer’s shoulders. In this passage above, though, Paul seems to be directly applying this word to spiritual burdens… guilt from a particular sin; a difficult time of temptation; sorrow over spiritual failure; being overtaken by the weight of an unexpected sin or wrongdoing; the expressed need for forgiveness; a time of doubt; an obvious need for sound Christian teaching; the need for a fellow believer be warned about the path one is traveling. Whatever this spiritual burden might be, fellow believers are expected to be aware of the spiritual well-being of fellow believers, and then to helpfully carry that believer by bearing his burden, by helping to shoulder the weight of it. Paul is referring in this passage to matters that are spiritual in nature, something that is weighing excessively on a brother/sister’s spirit. Bearing someone’s burden is putting God’s agape love into action.

The Spiritual Life of the Least. The traditional Spiritual Acts of Mercy listed below are works of kindness that are oriented towards a neighbor’s inner life of the spirit. They have been accepted, along with the Physical Works of Mercy, in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Both of these Works of Mercy have been popularized by what is known as Catholic Social Teaching, and are also included in Orthodox Catechisms as essential to the Faith.

1. Admonishing those who have sinned;
2. Teaching those who are untrained;
3. Counseling those who have doubts;
4. Comforting those who are sorrowful;
5. Forgiving those who have been hurtful;
6. Bearing patiently with others who wish you ill.
7. Praying for those who are living and who are dead.

The Spiritual Burdens of Our Neighbor. Burden-bearing can be applied to any excessive weight on a believer’s shoulders, including physical difficulties which call out for “Physical Acts of Mercy.” But caring for Jesus in the least of these can also apply to spiritual burdens… guilt from a particular sin; a difficult time of temptation; sorrow over spiritual failure; being overtaken by the weight of an unexpected sin or wrongdoing; the expressed need for forgiveness; a time of doubt; an obvious need for sound Christian teaching; the need for a fellow believer to be warned about the path one is traveling. Whatever this spiritual burden might be, fellow believers are expected to be aware of the spiritual well-being of others around them, whether fellow believers or not. Caring for the least may involve bearing his burden, by helping to shoulder the weight of it. Christ-followers are expected to tend to matters that are spiritual in nature, something that is weighing excessively on a brother/sister’s spirit. Bearing someone’s burden is putting God’s agape love into action for neighbors who are weighted down, including those with spiritual and emotional needs. Spiritual Acts of Mercy, parallel to the Physical Acts of Mercy, are intended to spell out a model on how to treat others in a way that makes Jesus visible.

The Ministry of Touch. “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them all. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’”  (Luke 4:40-41). Reading the gospel accounts, it seems that Jesus used touch in His healing more often than not. There were some passages that suggested He preferred touch, such as Luke 4:40, “The touch of His hand healed everyone who came to Him.” Jesus’ divine method of healing primarily included the human touch. He engaged in a ministry of touch, because He knew how the human body was made. He was the co-Creator and realized the importance of touch as He met with people in every situation imaginable. Jesus knew that nothing establishes the human connection like touch.

Tangible and Hands-On. When it came to his ministry, Jesus loved variety. Any kind of diseases, come one-come all. Mentally disturbed, demon-possessed, outcast or the in-crowd, clean or unclean, alive or dead. Jesus decided to engage in a walkabout ministry, so He enjoyed variety in geography and people and landscape and human need. He loved to meet every kind of person imaginable and demonstrate an unlimited variety of methods in His healing miracles. Sometimes the healed person expressed faith, sometimes there was no faith expressed at all, and sometimes Jesus would accept the faith of friends to represent the person before Him. There were times when He healed long-distance, but most of the time Jesus chose to be up close and personal. An example of His variety of methods of healing would have to include His healing of blindness. One blind man was healed with just a word; another time He spit  on the man’s eyes, touched the eyes and then touched them again to complete the healing; another blind man felt the hands of Jesus spread a mud ointment on his eyes after Jesus spit on the ground, the blind man completing the healing by washing off the mud; still another blind man was healed by the simple touch of Jesus’ hands.

The Literal Importance of Physical Touch. Being the co-designer of the human body, Jesus understood the importance of touch. In psychological studies, it is estimated that each person needs 8-10 meaningful touches each day for emotional and physical health. In fact, human touch has several physical benefits. The hands of blessing are especially important in establishing sensitive connections. since one-third of our five million touch receptors are located in the hands. It’s also interesting that, when touched by hands, a person’s body tissues immediately receive an influx of added oxygen. This oxygen provides energy and it aids in regeneration of body tissues. Touch is literally a healing agent. And too, physical touch lowers the blood pressure of the person being touched in a meaningful way. Innocent and loving physical touch is the most intimate and helpful way we can minister to others when appropriate, and is the best way to bless others with the hands of Jesus. Out of our five senses, our ability to touch and feel the touch is the first one to develop while we are growing in our mother’s womb. Before any of our other senses, the fetus first develops the sense of touch. We were created to touch and be touched, it’s what makes and keeps us human. Our skin is by far our largest sensory organ, with millions of sensitive nerve endings. When we are touched, it has a significant impact on us, body, mind and spirit. Whenever someone is touched, there is a neurochemical charge that releases what is called “the bonding hormone.” This hormone, oxytocin, releases pleasurable hormones like dopamine and serotonin, and activates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a major component of the central nervous system, and impacts body functions like digestion, heart rate, and the immune system. The end result of touch is that it stimulates the parts of our body that lowers blood pressure, relieves stress, and sends information that helps that body cope with anxiety and fear. Scientists call touch “the primary language of compassion,” because that is what is communicated with simple human touch. Touch is life-affirming, intimate, and confirms that the person being touched has value and is worthwhile. Touch is so profound that infants who are not touched or held, who are left alone without the benefit of human touch, are irreversibly harmed in their development. It is practically impossible for these young children to connect with people as they grow into adulthood. So when a person is touched in a compassionate, safe way, in a way that makes the person being touched feel secure and accepted, the effects are felt literally and powerfully  throughout the body and psyche.

Touching the Untouchable. Jesus was indiscriminate in His ministry of touch. He was not shy about who He touched, He was not particular or choosy. He fully knew how important touch was to those who were before Him, and so He was remarkably assertive with His touch. A divine distinctive in His ministry was that He loved to touch the untouchable. He literally embraced those who were overlooked, like women, children, or those who were considered unclean by the religious establishment. The perfectly Clean One was more than happy to connect with the unclean ones, those rejected by the religious leaders, those who were considered too impure to even worship in the Temple. The religious leaders were upset and befuddled by Jesus’ low standards in His social contact. Their list of those considered unclean, the people who were not to be touched for any reason, included: the sexually immoral such as the prostitute and adulterer; a dead body; anyone with leprosy or an infectious disease; a woman who was menstruating; tax collectors, because of their treasonous work and their daily contact with Gentiles; Samaritans, since they were considered half-breeds and not fully Jewish; the demoniac, because the person had an unclean spirit; Gentiles, because they weren’t a part of the Chosen People and didn’t obey Law; shepherds, because of their daily contact with dirty sheep and the blood from the sheep’s scrapes and cuts. These people were all untouchables and considered outcasts from the Temple operations.

Spreading the Righteous Virus. Jesus went about His ministry business as usual, thumbing His nose to the religious establishment as He established a human connection through touch to every one of these untouchables. Furthermore, it was thought that the person touching an unclean person would himself become unclean, that the impure would defile the pure. Jesus once again turned the tables on the leaders by proving that religious myth to be untrue. The unclean are not religiously contagious, Jesus said through His actions. Jesus released a far different contagion. Instead of becoming unclean, Jesus’ purity overpowered the uncleanness and released wholeness and health. Jesus told the unclean, “Be clean!” And His purity had more power than the defilement. Jesus was contagious all right, and He spread His wholeness everywhere He went. Those religious leaders did not understand any of this, they were mystified and didn’t know how to curtail His unexpected ministry to the very people who they rejected.

Not Losing Our Touch. So who is not getting enough human touch these days? Who would be considered untouchable? Which people might be dying, literally, just to receive some human connection, a skin-to-skin touch? We can easily come up with a list of unfortunates who don’t get enough human contact… residents of a nursing home; new-born babies in the birthing centers; children in understaffed orphanages; isolated workers at home; children with distant, workaholic parents; unvisited patients in a hospital; the mentally ill; the imprisoned, especially those in solitary confinement; those sick with unpopular diseases; the shut-ins at home without family; the wife of an apathetic or self-centered husband. There are so many now who need the touch of Jesus. A follower of Christ, who truly follows in the way of Jesus, can’t help but touch others, extending the hand of Christ.

Exercise Daily. There are too many of us who are spiritually overfed. We don’t get outside and flesh out the Scripture. We need to put the Word into action, using the energy and insight that has been absorbed into our soul. Live out the Word. We cannot afford to be spiritual couch potatoes. Exercise the truth every day. Put some effort into letting the Word form your character and integrity and life purpose. Let the Bible affect your outlook on your life, your meaning for existence. Internalize the Word through spiritual digestion, and then externalize the Word by putting it into practice. We need to be doers of the Word, and not readers or hearers only. Maybe it’s time to turn off the religious podcast and love your neighbor. Perhaps we should file away those sermons and put the Scripture to good use. Instead of picking up another Christian self-help book, maybe we should put that book on the shelf and follow the light we’ve been shown. Christians are always in danger of being overfed and under exercised. Spiritual obesity only comes to those believers who gorge themselves on Christian input without practicing the truth that was just digested. Let the spiritual nutrition give you the energy to love the Word, live into the Word, and practice the Word.

Start with the Least Nearest You. Caring for others reflects the heart of God, and is grounded in the Biblical fact that all human life is sacred. There is a shared human dignity between all people, regardless of race, health, age, faith, status, station in life, the country of origin. Burden-bearing begins with those closest to us… our spouse, our children, our extended family, our church community, our neighbors in need, in that order. Any father or mother who, through a personal distance, or indifference, or overwork, or arrogant disdain, doesn’t bear the burdens of those closest to him/her in a personal and profound way, then that person is disobeying Christ. That person will not fulfill the expectations of Christ. That person does not reflect the heart of God.