Celebrating Key WorkersSample

Yesterday we looked at Matthew 25, and the parable of the talents. As we were reminded of the call to use our gifts for God, we also wondered whether this was connected with the next section of Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 25, the sheep and the goats. Jesus goes on to astound His listeners that when we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, show hospitality to strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit prisoners, we are doing those things for Him. 

Dr Juliet Tuakli speaks of the daily challenge faced by many people during the Covid-19 crisis in Ghana, saying: 

“Here you have to recognise that a full 70-80% of the population are in the informal economy. That means they earn their money day to day. They do not have access to sanitation. They live in dwellings where they have anywhere from 3 to 5 to even 10 people at times in a single room, so when you bring in a concept like social distancing it doesn’t mean anything. In fact, even where they have tried to do it the reality is there is nowhere for them to go except onto the street. And then there is no sanitation.”

In Acts 11, we see the church in the diaspora responding to a looming crisis in Judea by sending gifts and commissioning Barnabas and Saul. Christian healthcare professionals in Africa are working to prevent catastrophe during this pandemic.  

Dr Agbessi, the first and only reconstructive surgeon in Benin and a regular on the Africa-Mercy, speaks compellingly of the need to think about prevention, even in the midst of a crisis: 

“For us the most important thing is prevention. Because we know we are a poor country. We know we have limited resources in terms of health systems. The most important means we have to fight this disease is prevention. To educate our population, community so that they know about the disease and how to avoid spreading it in our country. We are aware that if we have many, many people who become sick it will be very difficult to manage it. So [we are] focusing more on prevention, so that people know how to behave in order to stop the spreading of COVID-19… When you face some danger and you are harmless and you do not have anything to fight you just put yourself in the hands of God. So we are just praying and educating our population.”

Reflect:  At this challenging time, it is natural to turn our focus inwards towards domestic needs and our own family, but Jesus’s command rings out loud and clear: don’t stop loving your neighbour, don’t stop caring for the poor who are sick. At this time when so much has stopped, even Sunday gatherings, the Gospel shouts "don’t stop mercy!"

When you have read today’s passages, spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you how you might show love for Him by showing love for His people. How might you use what you have to bless and care for our brothers and sisters in lower-income countries who are working hard to stave off the Covid-19 crisis? Find out more on the Mercy Ships website:  www.mercyships.org.uk

Celebrate the skills and talents in your church using Mercy Ships Skills Sunday pack— download here.