Jesus tells the story of the separation of the sheep and the goats in Matthew chapter 25. It is a parable about the judgment of all humanity. After the split, the groups want to know, what did we do or not do to deserve this? He responds that people were hungry and you fed them, thirsty and you gave them a drink, a stranger and you invited them in, and they were sick, and you looked after them. Then he adds the line that states that people “were in prison, and you came to visit.”

We are often quick to offer food and water, clothing, shelter, and medical care, but the last one requires time. That last one may be the toughest in a world where everyone is busy and time is more valuable than money.

Over the past weeks, my wife and I have noticed how many people want us to stop and talk. The elderly couple next door, the lady whose husband drives a semi for a living, the senior adult with a family member with health issues, and even my insurance salesman, who spends most of their day alone in the office, all want to talk. And not simply talk; they want to have hour-long conversations with real depth and meaning.

As Christians, we love to help people, and it is part of what it means to follow Jesus. What if one of the most significant things you could do this week is to give yourself to the ministry of conversation? Would you be willing to sit down and talk to a stranger or a non-believer and share Jesus’s grace through your time? 

May God bless those who take the time to visit others.