Observation: Paul is writing to Christians in Rome about his future travel plans. Paul has taken a collection from mostly Gentile churches throughout what is now Turkey, to offer famine relief to Christians in Judea. This will both meet their material needs and hopefully cement a bond between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul promises, once this delivery is made, that his next trip will be a missionary journey to Spain, and he will make his first visit to his fellow Christians in Rome on the way. What we know from the Book of Acts (ch. 21) is that Paul never does get to Spain. He is arrested in Jerusalem, and ultimately martyred in Rome.
Application: Paul says Gentile Christians owe a huge debt of gratitude to Christians in Judea (modern-day Israel and Palestine). Therefore, he gives Gentile Christians an opportunity to support them in their time of need.
I was blessed to travel to Palestine and Israel in 2015, to visit many Christian holy sites, but also to meet with Christians who have lived their entire lives in Jesus' homeland. Our tour guide was a devout Catholic, who was born in Bethlehem and married in the Church of the Nativity. Every morning, he got up early enough to make it through a checkpoint in Jerusalem, be picked up by our bus driver, and meet with our tour group by 9am.
I was able to visit with the pastors at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem, a congregation who worships every Sunday in English, German and Arabic, mere blocks from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Redeemer's pastor at the time, Rev. Ibrahim Azar, is now bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
I visited Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, which is run by the Lutheran World Federation, and provides some of the only specialized cancer care available to Palestinians. I was able to participate in their olive harvest, on the mount of olives, which goes to support their vocational training programs for youth in the city.
My short time in that country reminded me that I was not simply in a "holy land" visiting "holy sites," but I was also surrounded by "holy people." The people of God, in the land of Jesus' birth, are like people anywhere else. They need what anyone needs: safety, a way to pursue their livelihood, access to medical care when they get sick, and most of all, hope. And even a passing familiarity with that region should let us know that it has not been easy for these Christians, or for people of any faith, in our lifetime.
So today, as I'm reflecting on Paul's words, I'm taking them rather literally. He wanted Christians in the west to remember and offer support to their siblings in the east. That's what I'm feeling called to do today. If you'd like to learn more about Augusta Victoria Hospital, and support their work, there is a link below.
Prayer: Jesus, you are the Son of the Most High God, and yet you were born in a particular place at a particular time. Help me see your presence everywhere, everyday, and also offer care and support to those who live where you lived, and safeguard the places where your story unfolded. Amen.
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