Today's reflection is by Kori Pacyniak,
Member of the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Boston University
It
is often said that knowledge is power. Knowledge is also privilege and
responsibility. The verse from John comes from the last supper discourse after
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. It is a variation of the familiar concept,
“with great power comes great responsibility,” however, Jesus speaks not of
responsibility but of being blessed. Serving others should not be something
that we view as an obligation or responsibility, but as a blessing – a chance
to do for others what Jesus did for us. My late grandmother didn’t have the
opportunity to attend school beyond the sixth grade, but found much of her calling
in the ministry of hospitality. She would walk to church daily for services and
visit sick neighbors on the way home, bringing them food and spending time with
them. There was always room for more at her table and no one ever left her
house empty handed. In the hectic lives of her grandchildren, sometimes we just
wanted to quickly drop by, but we would almost always find ourselves sitting
down for a meal of sorts and leaving with a box of homemade food. While I often
think that those of us who knew my grandmother were the ones blessed by her
presence and her ministry, it is something that gave her such joy and let her
love radiate out through what she did for others.
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