By Bren Dubay
July 2023
She was a Fall intern in 2020, the height of Covid. She became a year-long intern in 2021, then went to serve immigrants on the Texas border, returning to Koinonia for another year-long internship in the Fall of 2023. She has taught me much.
In her quiet, gentle, humble way, Sue spoke of a recent experience at Harvest of Hope, where Koinonia and many others serve weekly. The volunteers gathered in a circle just before opening for food distribution, and the leader offered a prayer.
“The prayer was fine,” Sue said. “It ended with an encouragement that we go forth into the work of the morning being the hands of Jesus.”
Sue’s assignment that day was to be a greeter, standing at the door and letting so many people in at a time. The waiting area is small.
She went on, “I found myself looking at each person who came in and seeing Jesus in them. Not so much me being Jesus, but them. They were.”
Too often, service can go the way of ego. It’s about numbers. It’s about the paperwork. It’s about what I am doing. It’s about me being Jesus. It is not about seeing Jesus.
Koinonia has received so many blessings through the years. So many good and decent people have come calling. Some have even been holy. Sue is. Her ego never gets in the way. When I look at her, I see Jesus. Because I do, I can look at others, especially the poor, and see Jesus, too.
Look at the people you serve and see Jesus. Be in awe of them. Be humble before them. Give them respect, and uphold their dignity.
One Response
Bren,
Couldn’t agree with you more re: Sue! What a blessing she is. Thanks for bringing us back to this vital truth. Your pithy writings always spark something in my soul. Your last line brought me back to something Dr. Perkins said—“We don’t give someone divinity, we affirm it!”