“But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” or so says the lesson in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. It is a simple message that is now being tested by several modern-day crises, with complications that range from compassion overload to an instinct to protect loved ones close to home.
Charlotte, where I live, waits with support, careful interest and some apprehension after news that missionaries, some of whom have worked with and around patients with the Ebola virus, will be returning to the city. Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA, the Charlotte-based mission organization, said in a statement Sunday that while no staff member is sick or has symptoms, “SIM USA has been working closely with international, national, state and local public health officials since this most recent outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa began.” He said, “We will continue to cooperate and collaborate with them and adhere strictly to their guidelines in the return of our missionaries to the United States.”
