Called To Serve by Maureen Kambarami

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.” (Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).

When I first read these words, they sank deep in my heart and I promised myself that I will make sure that I use my body to fulfill my purpose on earth. Many years have passed since then, and I am glad that I have recorded more wins than losses in that quest. It’s not easy to follow in Christ’s footsteps, in today’s world riddled with unending pandemics, terrorism, natural disasters, human trafficking, and other heinous crimes, but it helps to always look back at Christ’s example when He was on earth. He was a busy man who never shied away from hard work. At first, He learned a trade from Joseph and became a skilled carpenter. He then used His hands to help His father put food on the table. Later, when He started His ministry, He used His hands to heal the sick, embrace children, touch and comfort the lepers and even washed the feet of His disciples. He also used His feet to walk long distances to reach those in need. For instance, He walked to Bethany when He heard Lazarus had died and when He arrived there; He was so moved with compassion that He wept. Some of His disciples had been against the trip, for the Jews had tried to stone Him previously, but Jesus risked His life to go and raise His friend.

Jesus was not scared to speak out against the evil of those times–poverty, injustice, and hypocrisy, to name a few. He even challenged the wealthy. For instance, He told the rich young man “go, sell what you possess and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21, ESV). He also renounced materialism when He praised the poor widow who put two small coins in the offering box because that’s all that she had (Mark 12:41-44). He further created controversy by dining with fraudsters like Zacchaeus (Luke 19: 1-10) and allowing a sinful woman to wash His feet (Luke 7: 36-40) showing His non-judgemental attitude and compassion.

In our current world, we have so many opportunities to be His hands and feet. We can volunteer our time at children’s homes or shelters. For instance, offering free tutoring lessons or running free camping trips or skills development workshops. Volunteering for mission trips, sponsoring needy children and adults, or just visiting them and spending time with them, are other ways to make a difference in their lives. Just as Jesus walked far and wide to show compassion and heal the sick, we can also drive to hospitals to visit the sick, drive a friend to the hospital, visit prisoners, or offer to take an elderly neighbor to the doctor. For those who are physically active, a walk or run for charity is a wonderful way to serve the needy.

If we make it a point to look for opportunities on a daily basis to show compassion to others, the world will become a better place. For instance, while standing in the queue at the supermarket, while stuck in morning traffic, or while at work, there are many ways we can make a small difference in other people’s lives. I visited a government department recently where I had the first-hand experience of seeing how the needy are treated disrespectfully and offered extremely poor service, while the government employees spend more time on their cell phones or traipsing along the corridors than assisting clients. Besides speaking out about the appalling service delivery, I vowed to ensure that I treat clients differently at my workplace and encourage my colleagues to do the same, for there is greater joy in serving than in being served as Christ demonstrated.

Maureen Kambarami

Maureen Cresencia Kambarami is a Social Worker with extensive experience in family counseling and therapy. A woman after God’s word and principles, she is passionate about writing Christian articles and believes in telling authentic stories to inspire and uplift others.