One at a Time (Friday Devotional)

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!

- Mark 1:40-41

The 2017 film Justice League was, for this superhero fan, a pretty big disappointment. Sloppy storytelling, a bloated plot, an uncompelling villain, and a general lack of vision all contributed to it bombing with critics, fans, and at the box office. If you want to hear me rant about Justice League’s flaws, be sure to grab a bite to eat first—it’ll take a while.

But there is one redeeming moment from the movie that’s been on my mind this week. In the scene, Flash, a novice to the hero game, is hiding in the shadows with Batman as the evil Steppenwolf and his army of parademons menace some innocent bystanders. As he listens to Steppenwolf’s threats, Flash confesses to Batman, “I can’t be here. It’s really cool that you all seem ready to do battle and stuff, but—full transparency—I’ve never done battle. I’ve just pushed some people and run away!”

Batman, without a moment’s hesitation, offers the overwhelmed Flash this simple advice: “Save one. Save one person.”

I’ve been thinking about that scene a lot lately because these days I think we can all identify with how Flash felt in that moment. Everyone feels in over their head as we navigate this pandemic, everyone is wondering what they’re supposed to do. We want to be lights in the darkness, we want to be good neighbors, but even making a dent in the vast array of problems we face seems like an insurmountable task.

I think Jesus would cosign Batman’s advice: start by helping one person. When you look at Jesus’s ministry, you don’t see him packing stadiums or filling megachurches; rarely does he seem overly concerned with how many people he’s helping at once. Far more often, Jesus’s love is shown on a person-to-person basis: healing with a touch, teaching through a private conversation, calling disciples one or two at a time.

In a culture that prizes efficiency, we’re wired to look for sweeping solutions and grand initiatives to solve problems—we want to help as many people in as little time with as few resources as possible. But ministry isn’t about efficiency, it’s about sharing Good News—and it doesn’t need to be in front of a crowd to count.

So if you’ve found yourself looking for a way to make an impact but don’t know where to start, let me encourage you to follow the example of the Savior, the command of Scripture, and, yes, the advice of the Dark Knight. Help one person. Start there.