There is a fascinating book* about Mother Teresa and her life journey. Most people know of her dedicated and commendable work among the least and the lowliest.
But fewer are aware of the intense struggle she suffered for years regarding the silence of God. She experienced immense pain when her bridegroom Jesus felt absent, far away and silent.
But she remained faithful to Him and saw and served Him in the people she met. She wrote the following, as an answer to “who is Jesus to me?”. Excerpts:
Jesus is the Joy – to be shared
Jesus is the Peace – to be given
Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed
Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satiated
Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed
Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in
Jesus is the Sick – to be healed
Jesus is the Lonely – to be loved
Jesus is the Unwanted – to be wanted
Jesus is the Beggar – to be given a smile
Jesus is the Crippled – to walk with him
Jesus is the Drug Addict – to be befriend him
Jesus is the Prostitute – to remove from danger and befriend
Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited
Jesus is the Old – to be served
This is of course in line with Jesus’ own words: what you have done to one of the least, lost and lowliest, you have done to me. (Matt. 25:35-40)
Most of the social ills and personal problems described by Mother Teresa above, and also listed in the Matthew 25 passage, are related to unemployment. People who have jobs are less likely to suffer hunger, thirst, homelessness, lack of medical care, et cetera.
As Christians in business we thus come alongside Mother Teresa, and countless others around the world, when we express our love for Jesus by starting and growing businesses.
We also respond to the question: Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus is the Unemployed – to be given a job
* Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta. Edited and with commentary by Brian Kolodiejchuk
Amen!
Wow . . . profound thought, it is so deeply penetrating and thought provoking. It my joy to be personally associated with Mother Teresa, trained some of her sisters at Calcutta and associated with her project in Bangalore South India. I have had some personal interaction with her, and every word she spoke was very thought provoking. Thank you so much for the thought “Jesus is the Unemployed.” I would very much cherish with these thoughts.