My First Staff Meeting
It was my first real staff meeting with the team I had been working with. I was excited to see everyone come together and nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the language. Our director began with devotion and a lengthy review of her recent travels. About an hour into the meeting, we took a short break and Benjamin, sitting near me reached for the phone to check on his family at home.
After his brief call, he slowly returned the phone to its base, head sunken and Carolina, who overheard his conversation followed behind him out the room. With her notebook and pen in one hand and the other on Benjamin’s back, she mouthed to the rest of us ¨his cousin has just been killed.¨ Everyone immediately dropped whatever was in their hand as I sat looking from mouth to mouth trying to keep up with what was going on. ¨Vamanos, Shannon¨ I heard as I realized I was the only one still sitting in our circle and I apparently needed to get up. One person had already been designated to stay at the office and the rest of us proceeded down the street.
Fifteen minutes later we approached Benjamin’s home and Carolina met us at the door with a look like it took us too long. Ten minutes after greeting his mother and father, we followed behind them down the road a little further to a home where the rest of his family gathered. In their time of need, we comforted them, praying for them and providing for their needs as best we could.
The gospel is filled with examples of Jesus´ compassion and love for those grieving or in pain. As I continued to ponder my experience, I realized that in many of these stories of the gospel, Jesus went to their home-to their place of need. I am sure that you can think of a time when Jesus came to your home, or your place of need and granted His love and grace over your pain. In Luke 8, Jesus left the synagogue after preaching to heal the daughter of Jarius after she had been dead. Thank God for loving us enough to always meet us at our point of deepest need.
Just as my team of co-workers felt a brother in need and postponed the day’s work to love and comfort him and his family, so are we to do. Our responsibility as Christians is to follow the example of Jesus. You know someone who is in pain. You know someone who is grieving. Go share the love of Jesus. He does it for you.
Shannon A. Walker
Shannon Walker is a Global Ministries Intern with Caminante in the Dominican Republic. She teaches English classes and supports their youth leadership groups.