Take me to see Jesus

by Robert Odom

excerpt from the Love INC National Newsletter Fall 2009

At the Love INC National Directors Retreat in April, Sister Josephe Marie Flynn shared a story about a class of high school seniors that she was teaching. She had posed the following question to her students, “If I asked you to take me to see Jesus, where would you take me?” One young man, the rowdiest, biggest troublemaker, answered, “I can take you to see Jesus.” Sister Josephe said. “Where?” He said, “I can take you to see my mom. Something happened to her and she’s totally changed. It’s like Jesus is living inside her.” Sister Josephe shared that not long after, she started to see a difference in that young man. His life was changing because he could see Jesus in his mom.

I’ve thought a lot about Josephe’s question. There are more than 37 million poor men, women and children in our country. Can they see Jesus through us, His Church? In their isolation, can they see the community of the Body of Christ?

As large and daunting as the challenge of poverty in America is, there is nothing bigger than God and His Church. God promised that He wouldn’t give us more than we can handle. But to assist in realizing that promise, that we can meet the challenge of poverty, we have to live as Christ did. Even Webster’s Dictionary defines “Christian” as “manifesting the qualities of the spirit of Jesus; showing a loving concern for others; one who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.” We have a responsibility as Christians to live in such a way that people can see Christ in us. And for us to look like Christ, we have to do like Christ. When we do like Christ, we can make a difference on behalf of the poor. We become the light in their darkness.

No one should ever have to ask us to take them to see Jesus, because they should see Jesus in us. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. On behalf of the poor, America needs to see the light of Jesus shining from His Church, the Body of Christ, now more than ever. And the poor should be exiting poverty in record numbers because when we do like Christ, we create ways for the poor to break free of their isolation and confinement.