The Most Human and
Most Divine Gesture
The two disciples whom Jesus joined on the road to Emmaus recognized him in the breaking of the bread. What is a more common, ordinary gesture than breaking bread? It may be the most human of all human gestures: a gesture of hospitality, friendship, care, and the desire to be together. Taking a loaf of bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to those seated around the table signifies unity, community, and peace. When Jesus does this, he does the most ordinary as well as the most extraordinary. It is the most human as well as the most divine gesture. The great mystery is that this daily and most human gesture is the way we recognize the presence of Christ among us. God becomes most present when we are most human.
—Henri J. M. Nouwen,
Bread for the Journey
In Matthew 25:35-36, Jesus speaks of feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned, common, ordinary gestures of compassion. These acts of compassion reveal that God is present in our everyday humanity. God becomes most present to us when we are most human, because it is in our vulnerability that His Spirit moves most powerfully. When we choose to see others with dignity and meet their needs, comforting others with the comfort we have received ourselves, we embody the love of Christ, and in that moment, heaven touches earth. Our faith is not just about belief but about action—living out the gospel through kindness and service. As we embrace the humanity of others, we find that God is already there, waiting to meet us in the sacred space of love and compassion. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics