St. Paul said: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” How can I imitate Christ? I am not capable of curing a leper as Jesus did. In fact, my success rate at working miracles has about a 0.0 average. I cannot even find the right things to say very often which would bring the Word of God to another. Maybe that is why St. Paul says to imitate him. Imitiating Christ might be too great a leap but I can learn to imitate a follower of Christ. If they can do, so can I. Who can you imitate?
When I was thinking who I should imitate the first name that popped in my head was my niece, Jennifer. Jenny is mentally handicapped and non-verbal but I see in her the virtues that I would like to acquire so that I can be more Christ-like. First of all, Jenny trusts completely. Since she cannot care for herself she trusts that her parents will see that she’s fed and clothed. She trusts that when she is sick she will be cared for. She trusts that she will occasionally be taken to Camden Yards to see the Orioles or to the movies so she can laugh at the latest comedy. I must learn to imitate her trust and not imagine that I am in control, that I can determine outcomes, that I run the show. When I trust that God loves me and cares for me just as much as Jennifer is cared for, I will become more Christ-like.
I can imitate Jennifer by having a spirit of welcome. Whenever I pull up to her parent’s house for some family affair Jenny will be at the window waving at me and when I come in the door she is the first one to greet me. (She seems to sense when people are arriving — the guest whisperer.) She applauds as each family member gathers. Here spirit of hospitality is infectious. How often I feel put upon when someone breaks into my routine and I have to leave my comfort zone to be with others. I must learn to imitate Jenny’s spirit of welcome for, in truth, the people who come into my life are the presence of Christ for me.
And I can imitate Jenny by accepting that I belong. When the family gathers to catch up on zoom Jenny insists on being there. She might not be able to be part of the conversation but she is part of the family and wants to be present to us. We live in an age where people feel alone or isolated. We tend to doubt our connection with others and wonder if we really matter to others. I need to imitate Jenny in understanding that I belong not because of any great quality on my part but because God has woven people in my life to love and be loved by. The key word that Jenny teaches me is “we.”
As I strive to imitate Jenny so that I can better imitate Christ I find that in the end the only thing that really matters is love.
