2nd Opinion: Touch others: Healing & helping

Posted: 2/15/08

2nd Opinion:
Touch others: Healing & helping

By Jerry Hopkins

Educators learn a great deal about people—their views, virtues, vices and other things. The aim of most teachers and educational administrators is to help people. A central theme for educators is to be helpful, constructive and positive.

This also is one of the important themes of Jesus’ life. In the historical book known as Acts, author/historian Luke describes this: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). Doing good and healing should characterize anyone’s life who works with people.

The central theme of our lives should be to serve others like Jesus did—offering healing, loving, helpful touches. Jesus went about doing good, lifting and loving, rather than hurting and hindering; blessing and building, rather than blighting and condemning. We need to do an audit of our lives, our attitudes and actions. Are we doing good, helping and healing?

Some people are not concerned by the damage they cause. They can hurt people with acts and words without taking a second thought or having conscience pains. They seem cut off from conscience or sane humanity. We need to learn how to manage in a world that doesn’t seem to care about others—whether they survive or not, succeed or not. Jesus demonstrated three traits in his relationship to other human beings that should be reflected in our relationships too.

First, Jesus listened to people and paid attention to their difficulties. He didn’t dismiss them or discourage them, except in regard to evil and wickedness. Jesus didn’t encourage wrong in anyone’s life, because he knew the damage and deadliness of evil.

Second, Jesus loved people enough to heal them. He didn’t heal everyone, but he did demonstrate care. We need to have the same compassion and concern for others and bring healing—healing to physical bodies, healing to relationships, healing to groups.

Third, Jesus helped people, and he commands those who follow him to do the same.

It takes time to touch people’s lives in a healing and helpful way. It takes time to get to know people and then to walk with them and talk with them.

Few people are willing to invest that most precious commodity—time.

Several years ago, I lived in England, studied at Regent’s Park College at Oxford and served a church as minister. A poem in a newsletter for Trinity Baptist-Congregational Church of Huntingdon, England, spoke to me about this very subject of touching people. It states:

My life shall touch a dozen lives

Before this day is done;

Leave countless marks for good or ill

Ere sets the evening sun,

So this the wish I always wish,

The prayer I always pray;

“Lord, may my life help other lives

It touches by the way.”

Jerry Hopkins is professor of history at East Texas Baptist University and pastor of Clever Creek Baptist Church in Center.