Last Rites

This is a photo I clipped last year because I thought it was a touching, though I had no clue what to do with it.

It was taken during one of the many Venezuelan civil unrests.  In it is Naval Chaplin Luis Padilla, intervening to administer the last rites for a dying soldier just shot by a sniper.  I would like you to notice a few things about this photo:  Padilla is not there in his military capacity, he is there for a wounded man; he is not flanked by soldiers, he is unarmed and quite alone; the dying man is clutching him.

Luis Padilla has it right.

Just like this Chaplin, we are to be of the same material as him, to this world.  We are supposed to be strangers in a strange land, we supposed to be ambassadors for God's kingdom to a world which does not know him,  we are supposed to be at war with the spirit of this age.  But, pretty much, we want to be friends with the world, compromised by this world, as ineffectual as possible in serving God - completely hampered by ourselves and nothing else.  (Yes, speaking about me as well here!)

Padilla has placed his life at risk, to do his duty to God, towards a man in need.  Perhaps this is one of his parishioners, perhaps a complete stranger.  Does not really matter.  No matter whom he is, we are to render what we are able to do for this man about to meet his Creator - including letting him know what we know about God's saving grace.

Like the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are to do what we can, when we see the opportunity to act on God's behalf in this world.  For Padilla, it was exposing himself to taking a bullet to the back to comfort this man at that time of his death.  A week ago for me, it was making myself completely and totally vulnerable for an ex-friend.  For you ...  What is it that you can do to reach out to those whom surround you in this world?  Not because you have anything to gain but because you need to represent God to that person in their time of need?

Our goal in life is to be that representative for God.  Not to accumulate wealth we bury, not to tithe to send others to do OUR job in this world, not to even cluck our tongues at what we see and "know" is wrong.  We are to be active in this world, in our communities, in our friends lives, in our families - representing God's LOVE and His TRUTH.  If you have a mind to, God will use you, as you make yourself available to Him, to serve others.