July 2024

Pastor’s Note and Intro to Knox News:

Last week I was in a conversation with someone who was in the right spot at the right time. She happened to be on the London Eye, the largest cantilevered observation wheel in the world. A man in the capsule that can hold up to 25 people began to panic. Immediately my friend noticed and began speaking calmly to him until they were able to exit at ground level. A person on the capsule approached my friend and asked, “Are you a doctor or a nurse, you knew exactly what to do.” My friend replied, “No, I’m just kind of empathetic.”

I have seen so many times here at John Knox when you happen to be at the right place at the right time to pray with someone in need, to welcome a first-time visitor, to support a child at VBS, to feed someone who is hungry. We don’t necessarily need proper credentials for these tasks, but more often than not, we do need empathy.

We learn this from Jesus. We are told that “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,” (Matthew 9:36).

The apostle Peter counseled Christians to “have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind,” (I Peter 3:8).

It takes entering into the pain of another, listening carefully, praying throughout, and letting God bring care and mercy through you.

As we Adventure with God, our faith will prompt our empathy and we will find ourselves frequently, by God’s grace, at the right place at the right time.

Tom