Harassed and Helpless

This message from Bishop Ed Akers explored Matthew 9:35-37, where Jesus looked upon crowds of sinners and saw them not through the lens of their sins, but as people who were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." We were reminded that sin doesn't just define people—it traps them, mangles their lives, and leaves them powerless. Just as Jesus was moved to action by compassion for the lost, we are called to extend the same grace and mercy. This message has profound implications for our spiritual life: it calls us away from political agendas and religious comfort zones into the harvest field, where souls are waiting to hear the good news that can set them free.