Doctor Luke
2022-03 No.228
In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to the disciples before His ascension, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And in chapter two of Acts, after the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
There were about 3000 people who believed in Christ on that day as they heard the apostles declaring the wonders of God in their native languages. Sometimes I truly hope that the same miracle would happen in Toronto. There are 250 different ethnic groups in Toronto today, speaking 170 different languages. We will reap a great harvest if we can speak the languages of the nations.
Recently I received a thank you letter written by a co-worker in the Rahab ministry. This letter has opened my eyes to see the possibilities. Rahab ministry is a Christian organization that offers help to sex workers in the Toronto area. We were in touch with this ministry and had decided to sponsor a young graduate who had just started his internship with this ministry. In his thank you letter, he described how he helped these sex workers who were exploited and discriminated against to rebuild their lives despite the difficult conditions they face. This young intern understood them, cared for them with his loving actions and encouraging words, accepted them and helped them. As a doctor, I often come in contact with patients of different ethnic groups who are facing various hardships and sicknesses. I often ask myself if I will speak loving words and have loving actions. Can I pray with my patients before their surgery? Can I walk with my cancer patients in the challenges they face? Can I mourn with them when their loved ones die?
All of us can speak loving words and act lovingly. When we accepted Jesus as our Saviour, God’s Spirit has come upon us and will guide us to speak loving words. We are not able to speak in the languages of many nations like the apostles, but God can use us to speak loving words to 250 different ethnic groups in Toronto. Are you willing to accept this challenge with me?