"I Know What He Would Do!"

10.40 AM.  Mikocheni B, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.   I'm standing in the foyer of a modern movie theater on Sunday morning.  Outside the sun is raging as the humidity rises.   25 kids full of way more energy than me are  all over the place.  We are attempting to help them act out 3 different Bible stories without using words. My group is reenacting the story of Zacheus-the famous tax collector. 

  I was asked to lead the children's ministry of the church that meets here at the very last minute.  Scrambling for ideas we decided that participatory Bible-story acting would be the best solution.  So-  Jesus is just about to enter Jericho with his crowd of three 6 years olds.  One of them will soon run to find Zacheus and tell him to come see Jesus.  Zach will then climb a tree- which happens to be me in this skit hoping for a brief glimpse.   

We ask one of the boys to play the part of a blind man that Jesus can heal to better illustrate to the other 2 groups of kids watching who Jesus is in the mixed group of 5 and 6 year olds.  With arms groping and eyes squeezed super tight the little guy takes off with his role of a blind guy.  I then turn to Jesus- played by a little 5 year old girl.  "Now make sure that you go up to him and......" She interrupts me very sweetly, but confidently: "I know WHAT He would DO!" 

With that she runs over to the "blind man" and stretches her hand towards his eyes.  As "Jesus'" hand touches his eyes, I have to fight back tears.  There is something in the way she so clearly and eagerly showed me what Jesus would do that shakes me.  She intuitively sensed that when need encountered the Son of God- transformation must take place.  Immediately, the blind man recovers his sight leaving Zach awed, but I am too.  How does a little 5 year old know so well what so few have yet to grasp?

   Would we have interrogated him?   Or possibly given him some coins?  Maybe Some sympathy? Then on with our day?  Or possibly a self-righteous: "Get out of the way blind guy- Jesus is coming."   Or worse- maybe ignored him completely?  Or resented him for brining deformed humanity into Jesus' holy parade?    But the 5 year old in Dar Es Salaam reminded me once again that real compassion is stirred into ACTION!  Real compassion moves us from the inside to say: "Wait just a minute! I Know WHAT He Would Do!"   

I don't know about you, but I want to know WHAT HE WOULD DO!  And then like that little girl I want to DO IT!  The right word for the right time.  A Spirit-lead touch to the hurting. A prayer that penetrates the heart.  Healing for the sick and broken.  Oh God help us be like your Son Jesus- a man of action for hurting people.