A few weeks ago I ventured up to in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin to the DIP Event for Young Adults in Global Mission. Now, for those of you who may not know, I will be spending the next year of my life in the United Kingdom doing who really knows what. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks I will know more details about this next great adventure, but for now I am in the dark on the finer details. Anyways, on the way up my friend played this song by Matt Maher. I had heard this song numerous times on the radio and we even sang it a couple of times at school during our mid-week worship service, Eucharist, or Euchie as it is more affectionately known as here at Wartburg. I loved this song and thought it's message was beautiful, but it wasn't until that weekend in Wisconsin when it took on a very new and even more powerful meaning to me.
On Saturday night, the pastor in charge of the whole Global Missions program for the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) talked to us about servant leadership. Throughout the talk he had us laughing at his stories and thinking about what it means to be a servant leader. It was at one point when he read a verse from Genesis that I really stopped to think about what that verse meant. Genesis 4:9 says, "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?'" Now, to some that verse may seem pretty boring, but it was this verse coupled with Pastor Raphael's words that shook me to my core. Pastor Raphael said, "yes, we are our brother's keeper." He said that we are called to look out for our brothers all over the world and to come to their side when they are in need. We are called to help those in need by being servants first. When he read that verse, I immediately thought of that song by Matt Maher. In the song it says, "And I will be my brother's keeper so the whole world will know that we're not alone." There are so many people around this world that need someone to be their keeper. Millions of people around this world have been marginalized. Shut away from the rest of the world or swept under the rug, never to be seen again. We would all like to think that everyone has enough food to eat, a job where they can make a living, adequate shelter from the elements, proper clothing. As much as my optimistic, always look on the bright side personality would love to believe this to be true, there have been too many times when I have seen this to not be the case. I have been met by the harsh realities these people face everyday. My heart goes out to those around the world who are suffering from disease, those who are in poverty and can't get out. My heart breaks for those living under oppression who still long for freedom. God has called me to help these people by spending a year of my life in service somewhere in the United Kingdom. While I may not know all the details yet, I know that this is where I am meant to be and that this is how God has called me to take care of my brothers and sisters around the world.
"This is the first day of the rest of your life.
'Cuz even in the dark you can still see the light.
It's gonna be alright.
And love will hold us together.
Make a shelter to weather the storm.
And I will be my brother's keeper,
so the whole world will know that we're not alone." -Matt Maher
