Feeling Invisible?

Are you one of those people who feel ‘invisible?’  Do others overlook or even devalue you because some ‘difference’ in you?

The world is frequently unkind to those who are deemed ‘broken’ in some way. IF you think I’m wrong …
Ask the kid with some disability about his daily experiences at school.
Ask the girl whose body does not conform to the beauty ideals of social media!
Ask the man whose business failed.
Ask the person who struggles with chronic disease.
Ask the elderly person who cannot move or think as quickly as they once did.

 Some of us shy away from those we find hard to deal with. We avoid that person who acts or speaks in ways that bring us discomfort. Without words we may speak loudly to another person, letting them know that they are ‘that’ person, the ‘invisible’ one, implying that they are too broken to love.

An essay in Christianity Today (Sept/Oct – 2025) was written about God’s care for the “good,” not just the “perfect”  “When the Church sees disability solely as something to be fixed rather than as something that can be honored and received, it obscures the Truth of creation’s goodness and distorts the image of God.”  Yes, think about that!

A young woman in our congregation comes to us with halting steps, unable to speak, touching others with quiet grunts that seem to express recognition. She obviously delights in the music of worship. Should our only prayer be for healing or should we consider that God has a purpose for her, that she is worthy of being counted our ‘sister’ and a gift to our congregation?

Jesus was always aware of the needs of those others considered ‘broken.’ 
He touched lepers.
He engaged with those who were possessed by demonic beings.
He let prostitutes into His company- a scandal, right?
He looked up into a tree and saw a social outcast, a man short in stature, whose heart was aching for love, and He went to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner.

As Jesus became more well-known, the rich came to Him, but He was not seduced by their money, power, or influence. He remained the champion of the broken. His mission statement was not just for publication, He lived it.

Quoting Isaiah, He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18-19, NLT)

The radical Gospel follows His path which is, truly, the ‘narrow road and few find it!’  Many Christians develop romantic notions of ministry to some needy part of our world. They are going to feed the hungry, house the homeless, love the orphan – and they do, for about 6 months. When they find that the pit of human need is bottomless, that people do not always (I might even say seldom) respond with gratefulness. Change is slow in coming. When their ‘service’ loses the shine, when excitement fades, too many retreat to the company of those who seem to be whole, who appear to have life all together, those who bring fewer demands and less discomfort.

God forgive us when we, the Church, take the broad road of the ‘world’ and only loves the lovely!

James, the pastor of First Church in Jerusalem, was inspired to teach us. His words are pointed. Take them to heart, as I did this day.
” My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,  doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (James 2)

Jesus offers a Gospel for the rest of us!
Yes, in the end, we are all imperfect, broken by sin, scarred and marred – but as He loves us, we are made into “His treasure” and we are declared “Good” though imperfect. Oh, what a Savior!

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Video of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55