John Ortberg devotes Chapter 6 of God is Closer Than You Think to expounding on his statement that in the Bible “God often mediates his presence and sends his messages through people.” Just as Jesus came as a humble servant to take on our limitations, we are most likely to meet God in those who are despised and rejected. It’s the little things we do that make a difference.
Pastor Ortberg reports that Mother Teresa was well-known for remarking that we shouldn’t be concerned with doing great things for God, but doing small things with great love. As she worked with the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, she told those working with her to treat those dying and abandoned people like a priest handles the elements of the Mass. She said: “When you touch them, there you touch Jesus in his distressing disguise.”
Frank Laubach wrote that we can continually experience God in interactions with others through the CIHU prayer- “Can I Help You?” This can set in motion a powerful dynamic of God’s action, even when we run into a difficult person.
Rather than marvel at such awe-inspiring sights as the Grand Canyon, Pastor Ortberg asserts that “if our eyes could see clearly, if our hearts were working right, we would fall to the ground in amazement at the sight of a single human being. They are the miracles. They are the God-carriers.”
As the author concludes: “Blessed are those who know their limitations.”
