The Privilege of Partnering with Emmaus

by Karen Bowen, Emmaus donor

I first heard about Emmaus Ministries during my time at Wheaton College. Of all the service groups on campus, the Emmaus volunteer group—ministering to men trapped in prostitution—was perhaps the one to which I could relate least. But whenever I heard news of their work, Jesus’ words from Matthew 25:40 would run through my head: “Whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me.” During my years at Wheaton I never visited the Ministry Center or volunteered at Emmaus, but that phrase “the least of these” stuck with me. When I got a job after graduation and began to consider how I could help others and further Christ’s work in the world, that phrase kept coming back, and with it, thoughts of Emmaus.

My husband, Brian, and I have supported Emmaus for several years because, though my life is very different from that of the men Emmaus serves, I don’t believe that “the least of these” refers to other people who are somehow inherently different from me. The men at Emmaus were created by God and are loved by God the same as I am; only our circumstances are different. They are my brothers in Christ, created by God to be beautiful, whole people, and that is the goal at Emmaus.

In every newsletter, I read about the miraculous strides these remarkable men are making toward becoming the people God created them to be. At Emmaus, they are cared for physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and they are loved unconditionally. These men are the undeniable evidence that Christ’s power is at work. It is only through His power that they can transform their lives from such sorrow and despair to hope and peace. This transformation is the core of Christ’s work in the world, at Emmaus, and in all of us, and it is my privilege as a Christian to participate in it through my partnership with Emmaus.