This week was a difficult one for our nation and our world. COVID-19 continued its march around the planet. In the US over 100,000 have died, worldwide almost 6 million have been infected, and the virus is decimating the impoverished residents of Brazil’s crowded cities.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis a black man died with a white police officer’s knee on his neck, sparking violent protests, which are rapidly spreading across the nation. Our televisions are filled with images of burning police stations, angry crowds, and police in riot gear.
In a world that seems to have gone insane, where violence, hate, and despair seem to rule the day, what is a child of Christ to do? Called to share the Good News, how can we make our voices heard over the angry shouts and hateful rhetoric spewing forth from every quarter? Can one man or one woman make a difference against such evil?
Jack Kemp, American politician, thought so. He said, “The power of one man or woman doing the right thing for the right reason, and at the right time, is the greatest influence in our society.”
Over-and-over in earth’s history we have seen the truth of this statement. Whether a humble nun like Mother Theresa or a gifted orator like Martin Luther King Jr., for a person willing to move forward in faith, nothing will be impossible for them. (Matthew 17:20).
The power of one is inestimable. Jesus proved that. Romans 5:14 & 17 tells us that “just as sin entered the world through one man, and…death reigned through that one, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”
Faced with a world filled with disease and hate we may feel we can’t make a difference, but we are wrong. We cannot save the world, like Jesus did, but we can live for Him in our little corner of it. We can’t cure COVID-19, but we can comfort a grieving heart or feed a hungry child. We are unable to stem the hate spilling into our streets, but we can let God’s love flow through us in acts of kindness and love.
The power of one is beyond measure. This week God is looking for one, one person to be an instrument of His peace, one man or woman to sow love where there is hate; faith where there is doubt; hope where there is despair, one He can use to change the world. Will you be that one today?