The Hands of Christ

Many of you who read my blog  (probably not that many) know that I am on the long and windy road towards ordination as a priest.  A priest, like all Christians is called to be an icon of Christ. The word icon in this sense means "like" or "representing" or "symbolic" of the said article. But the concept goes further. The icon leads us the reality of what it represents.I am called to stand for Christ and demonstrate his love, compassion and the reality of his ministry in the face of a broken and weary world, community, and family. I am to be Christ, and through the right action of Christian virtues I am transformed more and more into what Christ is. By the action of love I become what love is, by the action of compassion I am transformed more and more into the compassionate heart of Jesus.


One of the greatest working out of this calling is found in my work. I am a supportive care worker in a group home with 5 wonderful men with developmental disabilities. This line of work has been a godsend to me. I am in a position to love, serve, and trust others; bringing glory and dignity to humanity, the image of God in created mankind. I once had a conversation with someone about my work and expressed the challenges of recent budget cuts from the government to our program. This person seemed to think it was a necessary thing saying: "why should these people live a better life than those of us who work?" I was astonished at this attitude and found it disrupted my spirit. Something with this comment was fundamentally wrong. But before engaging in this line of work I too held this opinion. It is the opinion of a self serving culture where a persons worth comes from a twisted mutation of what was once called Protestant Work Ethic.The problem with this view is it takes the affliction of the leper and confuses it with consequence of the sluggard.


The scriptures tell us that "God is no respecter of persons". As Christians we believe that our worth comes not from what we accomplish in the arena of finance, power, or the acquisition of material goods. We believe that we are made in the image of God and he is reaching out to us, offering to share our sorrows that we may share in his kingdom.


As an icon of Christ I am standing in the gap, demonstrating Jesus, not as a poor substitute (though I am) but as a co-suffering co-labourer with Our Lord. The analogy that I like the best is that of an oxen. Jesus tells us: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

As we share in the work of Christ we are like oxen yoked together with our God, taking to the same work. When a farmer has a young ox that is inexperienced he pairs it with an experience ox that is fully developed and strong. The strong ox sets the pace and the younger weaker ox is left to keep up. The weak ox's striving to keep pace with the stronger is much like our co-labouring with Christ. We are paired with him, sharing in his good work. He has and continues to set the example, set the pace, and demonstrate his strength that we might grow into that strength. Through our work we are being fashioned into what he is, growing in our Christ-likeness, being changed from glory to glory.


Supportive care is not about administering medications, cooking meals, running errands, or providing personal care. It is about honouring the image of God that has been given to mankind, through love, service, and meekness of heart. I thank God for the experiences of placing others before me, serving them through times of great joy and personal crisis. Befriending those whom I am payed to serve. I don't do this because of the paycheque but because I have been given an example by my Lord as he has called me friend. He loves me as a friend, as one who is strong yet gentle and lowly in heart. In him and through my work with him I find rest for my soul and I hope to demonstrate this to those I am called to serve.