Listen

The person whose help is the God of Jacob— the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God— is truly happy!

God: the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,

God: who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving!

The Lord: who frees prisoners.

Psalm 146:5-7

Think

I heard a woman pastor tell about driving into her church parking lot one night, where her headlights shone on a large young man who had his girlfriend pinned against the fence. She quickly got out of her car and forcefully said: “Put her down.” He stood motionless until she repeated the command, more forcefully. When he slowly turned around, he looked down on her and sneered, “What do think you are going to do about it?” To which she said, “I am going to stare at you until I see the face of Jesus.” Again, he stood motionless for another moment as she stared at him, and then he collapsed into tears.

Unfortunately, instead of freeing people, we often isolate those with mental health issues, people who are broken, and even people we envy.

There are many kinds of prison and only a few involve bars and keys. Christ calls us to compassionately and actively free those who are bound by things that keep them from realizing that they are Beloved Children of God.

Wanda Kidd

Pray

Oh God, thank you for seeing beyond our private prisons to help us see the person you created us to be. Please give me courage and wisdom to see those around me who need to be reminded that they are beloved children of God. Amen.

Go

Care is an engaging word. If we care, then we are compelled to respond to the needs we see around us. Sometimes it requires action, sometimes it simply calls for our presence, but it always propels us to see the world with Christ-like compassion and grace.

Remember today: we do not always know what someone is going through.