One of the Christian’s most distinctive traits is entrusting oneself to the care of our Heavenly Father. Our Lord Jesus shows a special tenderness whenever he teaches about His Father and ours. We sense Jesus’ deep longing for his Father whenever he says “father,” “bread,” or “water,” and whenever he proclaims the good news of the Father’s kingdom.
Whenever Jesus sees someone in need of care and attention, his eternal love moves him to act: he cares for them, heals them, lets them draw on his divine power, frees them from the shackles of evil and sin, and gives them all his Holy Spirit.
He wills what is good—that is, he creates good where none exists, because neither he nor his Father needs preexisting conditions to act with total and absolute power.
Thus, the greatest revelation of divine care and provision is the forgiveness and remission through which God healed the wounds of our human nature. He restored to us the freedom of life from slavery to evil and poured his love into our hearts—the medicine of life and an inexhaustible source of good deeds.
Our Christian character is formed by the Holy Spirit of Jesus, and we must share that same Spirit with everyone around us. Showing God’s caring presence in our lives is the clearest and most immediate way to affirm our faith and commitment. Indeed, it is the surest proof that we are God’s own children—not illegitimate sprouts—and that we fully share in the noble root from which we came.
Our Church’s Order of Common Prayer offers a rich collection of psalms, prayers, hymns, and lauds to nurture in us the grace of adoption as God’s children and help us become as caring and loving as our Heavenly Father.
Each day, we can open our eyes in God’s light, determined to care for our surroundings and the people we meet, and to reveal God’s loving face as we carry out the duties entrusted to us. God has placed his faith and trust in us; we must not let him down by imposing conditions, barriers, or human standards on how we share his gifts with everyone he sends our way. When we see someone in need, let us make that person our friend by offering help rather than withholding our care.
Most importantly, let us gratefully accept the help and care others offer us, because doing so is an exquisitely humble way to let others become true faces of God.