Our Call Post-Ascension: To Be Jesus' Arms

I saw a single woman post on Facebook recently: Sometimes I just need Jesus with arms.

Amen, sister. So do I.

We live in the world post-Ascension, where God is with us in Spirit, but not in a tangible way -- not in a physical way that we can see, feel, and touch.

This poses challenges for us believers. We don’t have a God who can come down from heaven and give us a hug when we’re struggling, and sometimes that’s really what we need.

But we do have each other, and the more I reflect on the Ascension and the readings leading up to it, the more I realize that there’s two important things happening: Jesus ascending to heaven and promising to give us the Holy Spirit, and Jesus sending His disciples out into the world on the Gospel mission.

Sometimes we miss that second piece of the Ascension. Jesus sending His disciples out into the world. I think it has great wisdom. He sends His disciples to be His physical presence in the world. To preach the Gospel. To be His arms.

We don’t have a Jesus with arms here on earth, but we ourselves have arms -- to reach out, to lend a hand, to serve, and to be present to those suffering and struggling.

Go forth and be the presence of Christ to those around you because they just might need to encounter a Jesus with arms -- through you.