“Follow me”, a simple phrase of Jesus used in different ways throughout the Gospels. Two simple words encouraging us to conversion and inviting us to become more like Him. In other words, Jesus asks that we choose the way of the Cross, that we follow the path He has already laid out for us and prepared for us. He wants us to imitate Him. He wants us to keep our eyes on Him and stay in His presence and seek Him with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength.
I’m leaving Denmark today to go on a mission trip in Calcutta, India. My decision to travel across the world to seek God in the faces of the poorest of the poor is not an overnight decision. Many of you have asked me why I feel urged to make this trip, and there is no better explanation than the one Paul lays out in Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”. To make my point more clear let me quote Saint Teresa of Avila:
"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which God's compassion will look upon the world; yours are the feet with which God will go about doing good; yours are the hands with which God will bless others now."
"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which God's compassion will look upon the world; yours are the feet with which God will go about doing good; yours are the hands with which God will bless others now."
To be the “hands of Christ” means to walk by His example. It´s means to not only preach the message, but to be the message. We must reflect that Jesus Christ is living in our hearts. We live in a world of extreme suffering, a world in desperate need of compassion. We have become ignorant of the suffering of others. I am no better, but I now feel humanity to the point where I am moved to act, to sacrifice and to reach out to meet the needs of those enduring hardship. I feel moved to put my faith to use. To get out there and get my hands dirty, for God. We spend our lives running from suffering, brokenness, sickness and death, and in Gospels we find Jesus meeting it face to face. If we want to become more like Christ, we have to do the same. We have to roll our sleeves up and touch other people in their brokenness. In the 21st century no one bothers getting their hands dirty with other people’s problems. We blame God for the poverty and suffering in this world, while asking each other why He allows so much injustice to take place. Consider this, God may be asking us the same question. Why do we allow so much poverty, suffering and injustice? Why are we not doing something about it?
It is easy to dream of making a difference from the comfort of your living room couch. It is one thing to recognize and realize what has to be done, but quite another thing to actually do it. So here I am, a few hours before departure, with a mix of emotions. I am excited that this long planned trip is about to begin, but at the same time I am also nervous about what lies ahead of me. Those of you close to me know it hasn’t been an easy decision. Following Jesus is not always easy. It takes a lot more than just willingness. The symbol of the Cross speaks to me of God’s Love for man. God’s Love for me. We too must love: until it hurts. Love is not merely to be based on feelings. Love should be an active decision, an act of will. God lives in me, and I feel called to pass that Love on. I feel called to glorify God by demonstrating His Love, by reaching out to the unreached with the message of the Cross. I’m letting go and letting God. I’m letting God do something beautiful. I’m offering Him my hands to serve and my heart to love. I am asking Him to make me a witness to the Mercy, the Hope and the Love that He offers us though His Son Jesus Christ. We are called to be carriers of this Love. We are all called to be instruments of peace and compassion in the world. We are created to love and to be loved, and therefore I am willing to sacrifice, willing to love until it hurts. I am willing to get my hands dirty for the One, who lives in me.
This website will accompany me in my walk with Jesus in Calcutta, India. While giving friends and loved ones at home a little window into the journey, I hope, by sharing my thoughts with all of you, I will become more aware of what I am living. Some of you have encouraged me to put into words, what I am expecting and hoping for in the months to come, so here is what comes to my mind:
To experience a radically different culture | To live outside of my comfort zone | To be challenged | To go beyond myself | To see things I thought I would never see | To meet people I thought I would never meet | To worry | To cry | To be moved | To be changed | To love | To bond | To serve | To feel humbled | To experience God in a new way | To be strengthen in my walk with Him | To be held | To be broken | To be healed | To feel insecure | To work hard | To discover new things about myself | To miss everyone I love back home | To feel helpless | To feel tested | To pray a lot | To be blessed | To fall short | To laugh | To grow | To hesitate | To learn | To worship | To fear | To share.
I ask you all to keep both Camilla and I in your thoughts and prayers. If you want to know how you can pray for us, then click “pray with me” to the right.
Everyone, this is it! I love you all and I will miss you every single day!
Pursuing God,
Mette
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