"Vatican City (AP)_Pope Paul VI will interrupt his flight to Manila Friday for a one-hour visit
to East Pakistan to express his sympathy for the victims of the storm disaster 2 days ago, the
Vatican announced today. The announcement said the pontiff would spend an hour in Dacca, the
capital of East Pakistan. It is 100 miles north of the Ganges delta area where hundreds of
thousands died in the winds and floods and some two million survivors are homeless and
desperately in need of food and clothing" (Baltimore Evening Sun, November 24, 1970).
Of all his stops on his recent tour of the Far East, the pope’s brief visit to Pakistan commanded
the least amount of attention in the press. But this one brief news item made a deep impression
upon me. My first thought when reading it was one of incredulity. I could scarcely believe that
one with such means at his disposal could bring himself to come before those millions of bereaved
and suffering souls merely to offer his sympathy. But then I got to thinking that perhaps many of
us_myself in particular_behave a little bit like that. It may well be true that we have no lack of
sympathy towards those who are needy and passing through trials and difficulties. But do we not
sometimes come short in demonstrating our sympathy in practical ways?
There are many areas in which we might apply the example given by the pope in Pakistan to
ourselves. Four such areas are considered below.
1. Suffering Saints
We may be very liberal in sending get well cards and sympathy cards to the ill and bereaved; It
is hoped that we are equally liberal in our prayers for them also. But how often do we attempt to
find out whether we can be of any practical help to the suffering soul? We make the assumption
that every one has insurance, and thus we hinder the Lord from putting it in our hearts to offer
financial assistance to His tried saint. We likewise assume that somehow, by someone, the
children will be cared for, the house and business attended to, etc., during this period of trouble,
and so we do not bother to ask if we can help.
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart
in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (James 2:15,16).
2. Strangers in Need
Who of us has not had the experience while driving along in our cars of seeing a motorist whose
car is stalled or stuck in a snow drift or with a flat tire? We have seen it many times, have we not?
And how many times have we driven right on by, with the honest hope in our heart that one of
the drivers behind us won’t be quite so busy and hurried as we are and will be kind enough to
help? It is true that we are often warned these days against helping strangers, as it can sometimes
be dangerous. But let us be more before the Lord, asking Him to help us to be alert to the needs
of others, and to give us wisdom and discernment as to when to step in and offer assistance.
Helping others in this way provides a good opportunity to give the needy individual a gospel tract
and to tell him of the One who has given His life that He might help and save each one of us.
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men" (Gal. 6:10).
3. Souls to be Saved
Many of us, doubtless, pray regularly on behalf of the unsaved, that they might hear the gospel,
repent of their sins, and put their trust in the One who died for sinners. How good it is to have
a concern for the lost souls around us. But are not many of us_the writer as much as any
one_content with merely praying about the matter, and not really concerned enough to go out and
do something about it? How often do we excuse ourselves by thinking we are too busy, or not
sufficiently gifted to do this service for the Lord.
Oh, Lord! Give us more and yet more compassion for lost, needy, hell-bound souls! Then help
us to turn this compassion into a practical witness of Thy love and grace to these souls!
"Do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil"
(Eph. 5:16).
4. Work in the Assembly
Perhaps we are going somewhat far afield in applying the lesson of the pope in Pakistan, but there
is one more area in which we all recognize a great need, but in which we all too often take the
attitude of "let ______ do it; he is more able or has more time." I refer to work among the people
of God, work in the Assembly. Has not God given each of His own a gift, a special ability? And
are we not exhorted to use our gift as enabled of God? Each member of the Body of Christ has
a specific function (1 Cor. 12). One may be a hand, another a foot, a third one an ear. All are
necessary and the whole cannot function well without the proper functioning of each of the various
members. May we each determine wherein our particular gift lies, and then ask the Lord for help
in using it to His honor and glory.
In addition to the work of winning souls which has been briefly treated in the previous section,
there is much work to be done among the Lord’s people in teaching, shepherding, counseling,
visiting, helping, exhorting, and governing (see Romans 12 and 1 Cor. 12). Next time, instead
of saying, "Let _______ do it," try, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"(Acts 9:6).
5. Postscript
After writing this article, I learned something that I had not found in the local newspaper:It turns
out that when the pope visited Pakistan, he offered not only his sympathy but also a check for
$10,000 to the Pakistan government for relief of the victims of the disaster. So perhaps the pope
is exonerated in this matter; but it remains for us to examine ourselves before the Lord whether
we "love in deed and in truth" as well as in word and in tongue (1 John 3:18).
FRAGMENT
Christ’s heart was moved when He saw sorrow. He would not have us cold and indifferent to it,
but full of tenderness and compassion toward those who are suffering. He has set us an example
that we should follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21).
It is a comfort to get man’s sympathy, but he often cannot help us. How blessed it is to get God’s
sympathy, which has power in it.