Roll up your sleeves

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102125.cfm

Gird your loins. Go ahead, gird them. I'll wait here.

Many of us aren't familiar with this action because our loins are often already girt. We wear pants. Pants prepare us for action. Think of the whole host of things that one might do in pants that they would not do in a skirt. Girding one's loins in the time of Jesus was to take the long flowing tunic and pull it up and tuck it in the belt to prepare for work or even for flight (as in the Israelites fleeing Egypt).

In our day, we probably would equate it with the phrase 'roll up your sleeves'. This means it is time to get to work, to be willing to get your hands dirty, break a sweat, maybe even breathe a little harder. From a Christian perspective then, what might Jesus be calling us to when He says gird your loins? Should we stand around with our sleeves rolled up and wait? Maybe we can just keep making our sleeves longer and fancier so that rolling them up becomes a more intentional action? Maybe we should have a bunch of sleeve-rolling classes so that we won't have sloppily rolled sleeves when the Master arrives? Well, I won't dig into a metaphorical meaning on all of that.

But what if we recognized that the rolling of the sleeves is only the preparatory action, and the serving of the Master is what we really want to be good at? How would practice that? Look around, there are plenty of people who need help. Jesus is pretty direct in Matthew chapter 25 when He tells us that when we serve the least of our brothers, we are serving (and loving) Him.

Take a few moments and think about who needs help in your life and do something about it. It could be a kind word, listening over lunch, working on a project, giving a ride, caring for their kids or dog so they can get a break. In every little action you choose though, do this: take a few moments to see Jesus in them - even if it means staring awkwardly for a moment.

Today, this morning, this week, roll up your sleeves and get to work.