Your neighbor is everyone

and everyone is Jesus

Once again, friend, what a week.

The number of attempts I’ve made this week at writing this reflection either in my head or on a laptop is too many to count. I’ve been sick all week, both with a serious respiratory illness and in reaction to reports I’ve seen updating daily on my feeds and in the news. I have no words. Or better to say, I have a lot of words. Probably too many words.

So, I’ll leave you today with some words from Jesus that might be very timely as we consider how to be in the world this week as professed Christians. Until next week, check out a few older Raised Catholic episodes, my past writing, or some of the other resources I’ve linked below. Let’s do our best to love our neighbor this week, while remembering that according to Jesus, our neighbor is EVERYONE.

This is Matthew 25:31-46 from The Message translation:

The Sheep and the Goats

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Raised Catholic rewind:

All 200 Raised Catholic episodes may be found for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find years of my writing including podcast transcripts and My Little Epiphanies blogposts on my website, kerrycampbell.org

What I’m reading/listening to/recommending:

My faith music playlist from lots of genres and traditions, Raised Catholic Recommends

Book: Accidental Saints, by Nadia Bolz-Weber

Quote: “Proclaim the truth, and do not be silent through fear.” St. Catherine of Siena

Prayer:

O God who sees all things, loves all people, and discerns every motive of every heart, make us wise and compassionate. Give us light in this present darkness. Turn hearts toward you and let us embody the mercy you call us to in the name of Jesus. For us and our dear ones, and for all the ones who are suffering or struggling today in fear, we pray in His name as we’re wrapped in the mantle of Our Mother, Mary, amen.