The youth of Metro North Central District, which Willowdale belongs to, held the week of prayer last week. There were four evening meetings and a Sabbath morning meeting. Sabbath, March 15, was also the Global Youth Day, so the young people in our district went out for community outreach. All the participants were divided into groups and went to different places to reach out to the people in need. I and some of our church youth went to one of the parks in downtown Toronto together with the other church youth to share the food and tracts with the people on the street, who were mostly the unfortunate and marginalized, including the homeless.
The young people greeted each person they met with a big smile, handed out food and tracts, sang songs, and prayed for those who agreed to pray for themselves. I appreciated their willingness to share Jesus’ love. We were there for about an hour and came back to the hosting church, the First Filipino Canadian Adventist Church. When all the young people from the different groups were gathered back, they shared their experiences and testimonies. It was truly a very moving, inspiring, and meaningful time.
The park we went to last Sabbath afternoon was a place where I used to go on outreach with the youth of the Korean church. It was my first visit since I had left the Korean church almost two years ago. The big construction was happening at the south side of the park where the Korean youth and I used to share food and winter care packages. But the surrounding environment was the same. It was still a messy place, reeking of urine, cigarettes, and weed. I went there to share the love of Jesus along with the church youth, but to my shame, I did not want to stay there long because of its surroundings. As I was driving back to the church with the teens in my car, I talked to myself, ‘It was fortunate that I wasn’t there for more than an hour or so.’
While listening to the young people’s testimonies, I felt like the Holy Spirit was speaking to my heart. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my selfishness and lack of love, turned my eyes to Jesus, and I saw the mystery of His incarnation in a new light. I asked myself questions:
- I was out of my comfort zone and stayed there for an hour, but I was having such a hard time. How could Jesus give up His throne and all the treasure in heaven, leave the perfect paradise, and come down to this miserable, sinful earth?
- How could Jesus, who could see deep into people’s hearts, live on this sinful earth surrounded by sinners and all their evil influence for 33 and a half years?
- If God tells me today to live the rest of my life in the place I visited shortly and serve every person I meet there, would I be able to obey that command?
- What does God want me to do for the people like those whom I met today?
I repented and shared these thoughts with the young people there, and now I am sharing this with my dear Willowdale members today. Many people outside our comfort zones are waiting for our helping hands. Outside the walls of our church, there are individuals in need. Jesus left His heavenly kingdom and came down to our world in the form of a sinner (but without sin). By doing so, He showed us the righteous path we should go through following His footprints.
“When we consider the infinite sacrifice made for the salvation of men we are lost in amazement. When selfishness clamors for the victory in the hearts of men, and they are tempted to withhold their due proportion in any good work, they should strengthen their principles of right by the thought that He who was rich in heaven’s priceless treasure turned away from it all and became poor. He had not where to lay His head. And all this sacrifice was in our behalf, that we might have eternal riches”
Christ set His own feet in the path of self-denial and sacrifice which all His disciples must travel if they would be exalted with Him at last.” – Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 402.
Dear Willowdale family, self-denial and sacrificing service marked Jesus’ life and must mark ours. As we contemplate His incarnation—His life and ministry, and His teachings and sacrifice—the Holy Spirit will imprint His spirit and character upon us, reflecting in our lives. I hope the young people who participated in the outreach last Sabbath will have learned this lesson, and you will learn it today as well. I think I have learned that. Thank you, Jesus! God bless you!
Pastor Dae-Eun Kim