Since last Thursday I’ve been battling my first illness in Chad.  But no worries, it’s just our lightweight nemesis the common cold.  The kids at the school where I work wanted to greet me and shake my hand like normal, but I was pulling back and teaching them to stay healthy and not to shake hands with sick people.

But throughout the day, several of these kids won my heart.  One literally held out his hand and said “greet me”, after I’d explained the illness.  One said, “I’m sick too”, and another, “I’ve been sick since last week.”  Quite honestly, human kindness, human touch, and a child-like willingness to share both, even though we may catch a cold, are the sorts of things Christ was talking about when he said, “as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”  And as Paul wrote, “in humility value others above yourself.”

There are many heartfelt stories of faithful men and women serving those suffering from dire illnesses at the risk of catching the disease.  There are stirring tales of missionaries bravely serving in leper colonies and, in some cases contracting leprosy themselves.  But like many grand or harrowing accounts, these stories have an everyday counterpart which is much more common and applicable to far more people.  Sharing kindness at the risk of catching cold.

I’ll still endeavor to minimize human interaction until I’m healthy once again.  But when I’m healthy again, and if you’re healthy, let’s not be afraid to get sick, let’s stock up on hand sanitizer and cold medicine, and let’s get out there and humbly share Christ’s love and compassion as we would like to receive it.  And please, pray with me that none of these bold children get sick on my account.