Each of us has our own part to play in God's drama and no one is more important than another. If only we really believed that in our heart of hearts! Our church communities should not be like ordinary societies, but places where everyone feels loved and valued as they are. We should be willing to check our ego at the door. Paul tells us that as different as we all are we all drink from the same spirit - the spirit of God. We are all part of one another and of God, so let us not undo God's work with selfish or foolish thoughts and attitudes.

Jesus gave the young man back to his mother - a wonderful and happy ending to a tragic story. But what about the millions of other mothers whose children are not restored to them? We see so many in our own time - the victims of war, violence, famine, and natural disaster. Couldn't the Lord do something for them? This event was a sign of God's visitation - to instill faith and hope in the people. Normally God does not interfere in human freedom or in the natural order of the world. But God does care, and the Lord blesses and heals the hearts and minds of those who suffer and grieve. And one of the ways he does that is through us - our compassion, kindness, and prayers. Let us be the hands of Jesus in our troubled world.