Godfrey Cuotto, a 21-year-old student in Hamilton, Ontario, had eaten at
a downtown restaurant and boarded a bus to get home. When he got on the
bus, a man sitting near the front reached out to shake his hand. Cuotto
was taken aback initially, but then politely took the man's hand.
But the man, who had special needs and appeared to be agitated for
some reason, wouldvt let go of Cuotto's hand. So Cuotto sat beside
him, seeking to console the troubled man.
"He kept holding my
hand," Cuotto told the Huffington Post Canada. "I thought I was getting
pranked at first, but he just needed comfort."
Cuotto rode the
bus beside the man for 30 minutes until his final stop. During that
time, the man continued to hold his hand, lean on him, and even hugged
him out of gratitude. A photograph was taken of the pair and posted to a
Facebook page. The photo shows the man leaning on Cuotto, and holding
his hand. He appears to be at peace. The photo went viral, shared by
thousands of people who appreciated Cuotto's small but endearing act
of kindness.
"I just allowed it, like what am I going to do?"
Cuotto said. "Sometimes you just have to be selfless and put someone
else's needs above yours."
Later, some of the man's family
members contacted Cuotto on Facebook and thanked him for comforting
their uncle, Robert. They also informed him that Robert suffers from
cerebral palsy and is deaf.
Cuotto was interviewed by a Toronto
radio station. When asked about his kind nature, he attributed it to his
mother."I was raised by a queen," he said.
He had a great
mother!
What a wonderful display of kindness and compassion! What
an excellent example of being a "paraclete."
Paraclete is a Greek
word that appears 5 times in the Scriptures. Four times, it is used as a
title for the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7); one time it is
used as a title for Jesus (1 John 2:1). A paraclete is literally, one
called alongside (to help). The word is a fitting description of what
Cuotto did for Robert, and it provides a "picture" of what Jesus
wants to do for you and for me.
We are lost because of our sins,
and when we recognize that, we become agitated and fearful. But God
loves us so much that He sent Jesus "to our side" to rescue us (John
3:16). Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we can be saved and
receive the gift of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 6:23).
God will save those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then, Jesus will
continue to be a Paraclete for those who have trusted and obeyed Him:
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [a Paraclete] with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). As we continue to
strive to follow Jesus faithfully, He will continue to intercede for us
(see also Hebrews 7:25), and through the blood that He shed on the
cross, continue to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
Godfrey
Cuotto was a comforting paraclete to a troubled man. Jesus Christ is THE
Paraclete who can save us from sin and give us eternal peace, knowing
that He is always near (through His Spirit) and that He is always
interceding to the Father on our behalf.
Won't YOU entrust your
life to the Paraclete through your trusting obedience?
The Paraclete
Today's Bible Verse:
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But
if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ,
the Righteous One." (1John 2:1)
The Paraclete
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