One day during our pandemic I was in the church office when two of our parishioners popped by.
They said they had received an unexpected government check. So they came to church to donate it - to give it to help others through the ministry of our parish.
There are a couple of things to note about this noble act.
What impressed me was not simply this couple's altruism and generosity, but their wisdom in knowing that the true power of wealth is wielded not by those who amass it, but by those who spend it properly. If love is the most powerful force in the universe, then acts of love like this are where real power lies.
This Sunday we will hear a couple of stories about Jesus's ministry of teaching and healing. And we will notice that his true power is not found in his ability to do the miraculous, but in using these miracles to improve the lives of others.
While none of us are able to heal and teach like Jesus, all of us have gifts and powers of our own. And our true power is not in the stockpiling or self-indulgent use of them, but in using them properly - recognizing that they were given to us for the betterment of the world.
What does this look like to us?
How are we being asked to use our gifts for those around us?
When we understand that God's plan is for us to play our own irreplaceable role in furthering the health and redemption of the world - and we choose to share our gifts, we experience the real power of God, to heal, to restore, to bring joy, and ultimately to love.
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