‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
With all the wonderful rain we’ve been getting, Brinklee and Atton have taken to a new project: rescuing worms after every storm. We traverse out, light-up rainboot clad, and search for worms. When we find one, Brinklee carefully puts it in a little palm tree and dirt house where they can burrow back underground. All the while, she names them, sings to them, encourages them, and explains all of her efforts to ensure their safety. Atton, of course, carries along happily behind her picking up worms and then carefully placing them back down exactly where he found them, an activity extremely frustrating for B and all the more thrilling for him.
Now, Brinklee hopes for cloudy weather every morning so that she can go out on worm hunts. If it’s sunny, she wants to heaxd out anyway to ensure that no worms have ventured too far to need immediate rescue. This behavior makes me think of the scripture about caring for the least of these.
Traditionally, when you hear this verse from Matthew, it’s in reference to children, or those in need. I think it takes on a whole new meaning when one of “the least of these” is caring for something even “less” than them. For Brinklee, this task is truly her mission. She is protecting these helpless creatures who have found themselves lost in the rain. Without knowing it, she is helping many of “the least of these.” Our own little St. Francis in the making.
Isn’t this the perfect metaphor for what Jesus does for us? When we’re lost in the rain, not sure what to do next, bobbing along hoping for dry land, He reaches out a helping hand, or sends along a helping hand to ensure we find our way home safely. Then, with that strength, we can go out to help others.
Emalee Sugano
Thank you, Lord for the reminder with every rainstorm of how you clean our souls and refresh us anew. Thank you too for the reminder from the earthworm, a helpless creature that needs rescue before it’s washed away. Thank you for caring for the least of these, and may we continue in your example. Amen.