When we do, we find that while He certainly did some miraculous things, they all were accomplished by the simplest acts. Jesus had one method He used for miracle working more than any other. In fact, with few exceptions it was the only way He ever performed miracles. He talked to people. That's it. Except for making mud balls and praying over lunch, He never had any special technique, magic potion or complicated ritual that had to be employed in order for the miracle to work. He talked to people, and that simple act of love became miraculous.

And God Said

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Jesus accomplished miracles merely by speaking. At creation, God gave life simply by speaking it into existence. If we are to be imitators of Christ, then we must learn we are called to do the same.

Clearly, this doesn't mean we need to go out on the front lawn, start talking to a patch of dirt and expect people suddenly to start sprouting up everywhere. What it does mean is that speaking to people is a holy, life-giving act.

Who we are as people is defined by our relationships with God and others. We are brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters because of our relationships. I know I am loved because my wife tells me every day. Just in case I forget, my dog is there with a nice wag of her tail to remind me. Going home for the holidays, sitting around the table, catching up with everyone reminds me that I belong to a family. Even a frantic phone call from a student who can't remember when or where we're meeting for a trip reminds me that I'm needed.

Everyone needs to be loved. It is this sense of belonging and attachment that causes us to care about those around us. As Christians, we are compelled to share the love of the One who first loved us. When we do that, love compels those we share it with to go and do likewise, connecting us all together and creating a ripple effect of love that can, quite literally, change the world.

As important as the annual summer mission trip is (and it is!), maybe we need to recognize it's the everyday, ordinary moments at school, home or talking on Facebook that allow us to have the biggest impact on the world around us.

As our students engage and build relationships with people they otherwise may ignore, they bring the life-giving love of Jesus to people who often need it the most. In simply talking to them, they affirm their relationship to the rest of the world by letting them know they are loved and not alone.

It was this necessity for love, affirmation and belonging that Jesus recognized in those in need. He wasn't simply healing their diseases. He was speaking new life into them. He was giving them a reason to be and calling them to go and do likewise. In the same way, when our students engage the hurt, lost and dying around them, they bring new life to a lost and dying world.

We need to get our students and ourselves to begin reimagining this business of changing the world, not by ignoring the major problems of the world, but by recognizing the solution to many of these problems may begin with saying "Hello."