Women of Welcome: Christ-Like WelcomeShembull

A word from Michelle Ami Reyes

Every society around the world has people and groups who have been ignored and forgotten. A person that has been forgotten is someone whose life and experiences are not seen or known to others. To be forgotten means to no longer be remembered or cared about. In the first-century world, people with physical disabilities and sickness, foreigners, and even children were pushed to the periphery of social acceptance and then forgotten.

Much of Jesus’s ministry is geared toward the forgotten. When Jesus entered the scene of human history, he prioritized the vulnerable over the powerful, the invisible over the popular, and declared that every person, regardless of their physical abilities, sickness, age, or social standing, should be valued and treated with dignity. In other words, Jesus cut against the status quo and welcomed the forgotten to the table.

When Jesus begins to heal people with “various kinds of sickness,” he declares that they have the right to be seen and to be known. He doesn’t fear them because of their differences. He doesn’t ignore them because they are vulnerable. Instead, Jesus treats these vulnerable men and women as equals and addresses their needs.

Notice the chronology of Jesus’s actions in Luke 4:40. He sees, touches, and heals those who are sick. He becomes proximate to them and then lays his hands on them. This is a powerful gesture! Many of those who were sick during Jesus’s day would have been described as unclean. Sometimes, such as in the case with leprosy, they would be disfigured. People didn’t want to even see this kind of sickness, let alone get close enough to touch someone with the disease lest they, too, become unclean. But Jesus knows that physical touch is part of how people feel seen. Jesus doesn’t just heal these forgotten men and women; he touches the untouchable and, in doing so, displays a humanizing kindness. Jesus’s body, words, and actions all work together to gently and lovingly welcome those who have not been welcomed before.

I can think of many people in our society today who we often forget—immigrants, those experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, special needs, and mental health struggles. These men and women are overlooked and disregarded, and the less we think about them and engage with them, the more they become invisible and sidelined.

Jesus invites us to offer tangible welcome to the forgotten; to come into proximity with those who have been sidelined and overlooked; to show kindness through physical touch; and to care for their physical as well as spiritual needs. We welcome the forgotten by playing an active role in helping them become seen and valued.

Thoughtful Questions:

1. Recall a time when someone showed you kindness and helped you feel seen. What did they say or do to help you feel you were not forgotten?

2. How do you feel about physical touch? Was physical touch a valued part of your cultural background? In what ways could you incorporate physical touch as part of your welcome to the forgotten in ways that are respectful and honoring?

3. Think about the people in your community who are often overlooked. How can you become proximate to them? What are tangible ways that you could make them feel seen?