Then some people came, bringing to Jesus a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him,
and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:3-5
May Mission Month is one of my favorite times of the year. It is wonderful to see how our whole community — staff and residents in all levels of care — come together to support meaningful mission and outreach in our community and around the world. That is what the Kingdom of God looks like: everyone working together for the good of all, and we can all be a part of it.
A great illustration of the power of advocating for and helping to meet the needs of others is the gospel story of the paralytic who couldn’t get to Jesus through the crowds for healing. The paralytic’s friends banded together to help, and when they couldn’t get close enough to Jesus, they dug a hole in the roof to lower their friend to Jesus, and their friend was healed. What commitment and ingenuity!
Just as in the gospel story, there are plenty of our neighbors who need our voices and our help. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is an amazing organization that speaks up for children in the foster care system and advocates solely for what is best for those children. With more than 300 children entering foster care each month in OK County alone, the need for special advocates for them is great. Advocates make a difference! Children with a Court Appointed Special Advocate are adopted months earlier and are less likely to re-enter the foster care system. Most importantly, children with an advocate know that they always have someone in their corner, and that makes the biggest difference of all.
Even those who may have a strong voice need help when disaster strikes. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is a powerful vehicle for helping those struggling to rebuild after a disaster and helping those chronically in need due to war, famine, or lack of vital systems of support. UMCOR addresses the needs of neighbors here in OK and neighbors on the other side of the world. Often, UMCOR is one of the first organizations to go into an area in need and is also one of the last organizations to leave. They see the mission through, and through them, we can, too.
As we celebrate May Mission Month, I invite you to consider where and how you can be a helper to people in need. Like the friends of the paralytic, we can use our resources and ingenuity to bring healing to our neighbors near and far. I hope you take advantage of all the opportunities this month to learn more, to give, to volunteer, and to celebrate. How will you make a difference?
