time warp
Over the past few weeks I have had several moments that have been odd. Odd in the most amazing way possible. It feels like I become entirely pulled into a particular moment and I am focusing on that moment in Time. It is a moment straight from "Waking Life", a Holy Moment. Everything surrounding the book I'm reading, or the person I'm talking to, or the activitiy I'm engaging in turns dark, and all I see is the glow and energy focused on the Moment. It is very other worldly.
I had two experiences like that this past week/weekend. The first was on Thursday. Sad from missing Watermark's "Maundy" service I attended Saint Louis Catholic church in Miami with my best friend Aly. This was their traditional hand washing service. At the front of the church stood people holding bowls filled with water. The community lined up and dipped their hands in the water and then turned to the person next to them who was holding a towel and allowed that person to dry their hands, then took the towel and dried the hands of the person behind them. When I approached the bowl I dipped my hands in and turned to a young girl, no older than 8 years old. She kindly and softly dried my hands. She had the sweetest smile and you can see the simple joy she took in this moment. I smiled back as I took the towel from her and spun, ready to dry the hands of the person behind me. I fumbled with the towel to make sure I dried their hands efficiently. Then I looked up and saw an older woman reaching her hands out to me. I went from having my own hands dried by a young girl to drying the hands of an older woman. The towel was draped over my hands as if I was about to toss a sheet of pizza dough into the air and she laid her hands in mine. With my free hand I wrapped hers in the towel and laid my hand under and on top of hers, patting them dry, but more holding her hands, as if to say, "It is well". She smiled at me and squeezed my hands, thanking me. A few moments later when the hand washing had ended and the priest asked everyone to give each other the "sign of peace" she walked up to me and hugged me. She smiled. And I saw God working. I don't know what He was saying but He was comforting me. It was almost like a time warp between a young child, so innocent and gentle, to an older woman, wise and kind.
The second moment was on Saturday evening at my friend Travis' wedding. After the ceremony, which was beautiful, nearing the end of the night, I stood by the waters of Miami Beach smoking a cigar with my two friends Josue Blanco and Daniel Villa de Rey. Standing there enjoying our cigars and laughing I looked passed my friends and saw a group of older Cuban men standing in a similar circle, laughing and smoking cigars as well. I smiled as everything except them and my friends turned dark. That group of men is me in a few years. I enjoyed seeing myself and my friends in a few years.
It was a wonderful weekend and although the sorrow of missing out on what my community was doing in Tallahassee affected me, God made Himself known and clear, reminding me of the hope we have in Him.
I had two experiences like that this past week/weekend. The first was on Thursday. Sad from missing Watermark's "Maundy" service I attended Saint Louis Catholic church in Miami with my best friend Aly. This was their traditional hand washing service. At the front of the church stood people holding bowls filled with water. The community lined up and dipped their hands in the water and then turned to the person next to them who was holding a towel and allowed that person to dry their hands, then took the towel and dried the hands of the person behind them. When I approached the bowl I dipped my hands in and turned to a young girl, no older than 8 years old. She kindly and softly dried my hands. She had the sweetest smile and you can see the simple joy she took in this moment. I smiled back as I took the towel from her and spun, ready to dry the hands of the person behind me. I fumbled with the towel to make sure I dried their hands efficiently. Then I looked up and saw an older woman reaching her hands out to me. I went from having my own hands dried by a young girl to drying the hands of an older woman. The towel was draped over my hands as if I was about to toss a sheet of pizza dough into the air and she laid her hands in mine. With my free hand I wrapped hers in the towel and laid my hand under and on top of hers, patting them dry, but more holding her hands, as if to say, "It is well". She smiled at me and squeezed my hands, thanking me. A few moments later when the hand washing had ended and the priest asked everyone to give each other the "sign of peace" she walked up to me and hugged me. She smiled. And I saw God working. I don't know what He was saying but He was comforting me. It was almost like a time warp between a young child, so innocent and gentle, to an older woman, wise and kind.
The second moment was on Saturday evening at my friend Travis' wedding. After the ceremony, which was beautiful, nearing the end of the night, I stood by the waters of Miami Beach smoking a cigar with my two friends Josue Blanco and Daniel Villa de Rey. Standing there enjoying our cigars and laughing I looked passed my friends and saw a group of older Cuban men standing in a similar circle, laughing and smoking cigars as well. I smiled as everything except them and my friends turned dark. That group of men is me in a few years. I enjoyed seeing myself and my friends in a few years.
It was a wonderful weekend and although the sorrow of missing out on what my community was doing in Tallahassee affected me, God made Himself known and clear, reminding me of the hope we have in Him.
posted by Michael Anthony | 1:29 PM
1 Comments:
Ahh, very nice. I can't help but to find myself in your story. From the hands of the youth to the hearts of the elders, that is the kind of exchange that takes place in the kingdom. The invisible movement of Love that flows right beneath the surface of our lives.
As one rabbi says, "can we look long enough at the ordinary to see that the Divine is present without falling asleep." L. Kushner
Be encouraged brother, even though you were away from the local body of Christ, you were most certainly right in the heart of the Father.
May you continue to share the hands of compassion with everyone you meet.
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